title: Nationwide epidemiology and prognosis of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (NEP-AKI-D) study: Design and methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute kidney injury (AKI) carries an increasing incidence rate worldwide and increases the risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as well as the medical expenses during the post-AKI course. The Taiwan Consortium for Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Diseases (CAKs) has thus launched a nationwide epidemiology and prognosis of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (NEP-AKI-D) study, which prospectively enrols critically ill patients with AKI. Through thoroughly evaluating the risk and prognostic factors of AKI, we hope to lower the incidence of AKI and ESRD from the perspective of AKI-ESRD interaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CAKs includes 30 hospitals which distribute widely through the four geographical regions (north, middle, south, and east) of Taiwan, and have a 1:1 ratio of medical centres to regional hospitals in each region. The NEP-AKI-D study enrols intensive care unit-based AKI patients who receive dialysis in the four seasonal sampled months (October 2014, along with January, April, and July 2015) in the included hospitals. The collected data include demographic information, pertaining laboratory results, dialysis settings and patient outcomes. The data are uploaded in a centre website and will be audited by on-site principal investigators, computer logic gates, and the CAKs staffs. The outcomes of interest are in-hospital mortality, dialysis-dependency and readmission rate within 90 days after discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NEP-AKI-D study enrols a large number of representative AKI patients throughout Taiwan. The results of the current study are expected to provide more insight into the risk and prognostic factors of AKI and further attenuated further chronic kidney disease transition.
authors.affiliation: Saint Mary's Hospital Luodong and Saint Mary's Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Yilan.
authors.forename: Chih-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.affiliation: Mackay Memorial Hospital.
authors.forename: Pei-Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital.
authors.forename: Vin-Cent
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan.
authors.forename: Jui-Hsiang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung.
authors.forename: Heng-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: China Medical University Hospital, Taichung.
authors.forename: Ya-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital Bei-Hu Branch.
authors.forename: Tai-Shuan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yunlin County.
authors.forename: Tao-Min
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan and School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien.
authors.forename: Che-Hsiung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital Hisn-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu City.
authors.forename: Wei-Shun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Mackay Memorial Hospital.
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Taipei Medical University Hospital.
authors.forename: Chih-Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung.
authors.forename: Chiao-Yin
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Taichung Veteran General Hospital, Taichung.
authors.forename: Chun-Te
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
authors.forename: Kuo-Hua
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan.
authors.forename: Chan-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan.
authors.forename: Te-Chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: International-Harvard Statistical Consulting Company.
authors.forename: Fu-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Sin-Ren Hospital.
authors.forename: Hung-Hsiang
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardinal Tien Hospital and School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University.
authors.forename: Kuo-Cheng
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine College of Public Health, National Taiwan University.
authors.forename: Kuo-Liong
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Chi-Mei Medical Center Liouying, Tainan.
authors.forename: Jian-Jhong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Chi-Mei Medical Center Yongkang, Tainan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chih
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung branch, Taitung.
authors.forename: Feng-Chi
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung.
authors.forename: Hugo You-Hsien
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Lin-Shin Hospital.
authors.forename: Cheng-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Taichung Veterans General Hospital Chiayi Branch, Taichung.
authors.forename: Zi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi.
authors.forename: Jen-Pi
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Min-Sheng General Hospital, Taoyuan.
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Far Eastern Memorial Hospital.
authors.forename: Hung-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch, Taipei.
authors.forename: Chao-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: New Taipei City Hospital Sanchong Branch, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Ding
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Taipei Medical University Hospital.
authors.forename: Mai-Szu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: China Medical University Hospital, Taichung.
authors.forename: Chiu-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University Hospital.
authors.forename: Kwan-Dun
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016638:Critical Illness; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018450:Disease Progression; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: acute kidney injury; dialysis; dialysis-dependency; end-stage renal disease; in-hospital mortality