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Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) can affect hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with estimates ranging between 0.5% and 40%. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting incidence, mortality and risk factors for AKI in hospitalized COVID-19 patients., Methods: We systematically searched 11 electronic databases until 29 May 2020 for studies in English reporting original data on AKI and kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Incidences of AKI and KRT and risk ratios for mortality associated with AKI were pooled using generalized linear mixed and random-effects models. Potential risk factors for AKI were assessed using meta-regression. Incidences were stratified by geographic location and disease severity., Results: A total of 3042 articles were identified, of which 142 studies were included, with 49 048 hospitalized COVID-19 patients including 5152 AKI events. The risk of bias of included studies was generally low. The pooled incidence of AKI was 28.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.8-39.5] among hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the USA and Europe (20 studies) and 5.5% (95% CI 4.1-7.4) among patients from China (62 studies), whereas the pooled incidence of KRT was 7.7% (95% CI 5.1-11.4; 18 studies) and 2.2% (95% CI 1.5-3.3; 52 studies), respectively. Among patients admitted to the intensive care unit, the incidence of KRT was 20.6% (95% CI 15.7-26.7; 38 studies). Meta-regression analyses showed that age, male sex, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and chronic kidney disease were associated with the occurrence of AKI; in itself, AKI was associated with an increased risk of mortality, with a pooled risk ratio of 4.6 (95% CI 3.3-6.5)., Conclusions: AKI and KRT are common events in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with estimates varying across geographic locations. Additional studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms and optimal treatment of AKI in these patients., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA.)

Acute kidney injury is a common complication in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Similar to acute kidney injury associated with other conditions such as sepsis and cardiac surgery, morbidity and mortality are much higher in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who develop acute kidney injury, especially in the intensive care unit. Management of coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute kidney injury with kidney replacement therapy should follow existing recommendations regarding modality, dose, and timing of initiation. However, patients with coronavirus disease 2019 are very hypercoagulable, and close vigilance to anticoagulation strategies is necessary to prevent circuit clotting. During situations of acute surge, where demand for kidney replacement therapy outweighs supplies, conservative measures have to be implemented to safely delay kidney replacement therapy. A collaborative effort and careful planning is needed to conserve dialysis supplies, to ensure that treatment can be safely delivered to every patient who will benefit for kidney replacement therapy., (Copyright © 2020 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Kidney replacement therapy (KRT) can provide lifesaving support for children with severely impaired kidney function. The decision about who needs KRT and when is often complex. Many acute kidney problems will resolve with conservative maanagemenent but some children with chronic or acute kidney impairment will find themselves in a position where KRT is required either as a bridge to recovery or kidney transplantation. Less commonly, children with metabolic disorders may find that the ability of their own kidneys is overwhelmed by excessive production of certain metabolites. These children may also benefit from short term KRT. This article aims to help paediatricians in training understand which children need kidney replacement therapy, the various types of treatment available, and when they are used., (© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rationale & Objective: Women with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have decreased fertility and are at increased risk for pregnancy complications. This study examined secular trends and outcomes of obstetric deliveries in a US cohort of women with ESKD., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting & Participants: Women aged 18 to 44 years with ESKD and registered in the US Renal Data System from 2002 to 2015., Exposure: ESKD modality (hemodialysis [HD], peritoneal dialysis, transplantation)., Outcomes: Infant delivery, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery., Analytical Approach: Unadjusted delivery rates were expressed as number of delivering women per 1,000 patient-years among women aged 18 to 44 years within each year during the study period, stratified by ESKD modality. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations of delivery, preterm delivery, and cesarean delivery with patient characteristics., Results: The delivery rate in women undergoing HD and women with a kidney transplant increased from 2.1 to 3.6 and 3.1 to 4.6 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively (P<0.001 for each). The delivery rate in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis was lower and did not increase significantly (P=0.9). Women with a transplant were less likely to deliver preterm compared with women undergoing HD (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.84-1.00), though more likely have a cesarean delivery (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06-1.31). For deliveries occurring in the 2012 to 2015 period, 75% of women treated with HD were prescribed 4 or fewer outpatient HD treatments per week and 25% were prescribed 5-plus treatments per week in the 30 days before delivery., Limitations: Ascertainment of outcomes and comorbid conditions using administrative claims data., Conclusions: The delivery rate in women of reproductive age with ESKD increased from 2002 to 2015 among those treated with transplantation or HD. Women with a functioning transplant were less likely to deliver preterm, but more likely to have a cesarean delivery. Prescriptions for outpatient intensified HD for pregnant women with ESKD were infrequent in 2012 to 2015., (Copyright © 2019 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Among critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury either continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) or intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) can be performed to provide optimal solute and volume control. The modality of KRT should be chosen based on the needs of the patient, hemodynamic status, clinician expertise, and resource available under a particular setting and consideration of costs. Evidence from high-quality randomized trials suggests that an effluent flow rate of 25 mL/kg/hour per day using CKRT and Kt / V of 1.3 per session of IHD provide optimal solute control. For volume dosing, the net ultrafiltration (UF NET ) rate should be prescribed based on patient body weight in milliliters per kilogram per hour, with close monitoring of patient hemodynamics and fluid balance. Emerging evidence from observational studies suggests a "J"-shaped association between UF NET rate and outcomes with both faster and slower UF NET rates being associated with increased mortality compared with moderate UF NET rates. Thus, randomized trials are required to determine optimal UF NET rates in critically ill patients., How to Cite This Article: Murugan R. Solute and Volume Dosing during Kidney Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(Suppl 3):S107-S111., Competing Interests: Source of support: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease grant (5R01DK106256) Conflict of interest: Dr Murugan reported receiving grants and personal fees from La Jolla Inc; grants from Bioporto, Inc, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; and personal fees from Beckman Coulter and AM Pharma, Inc, outside the submitted work, (Copyright © 2020; Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.)

Achievement of equity in health requires development of a health system in which everyone has a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential. The current, large country-level variation in the reported incidence and prevalence of treated end-stage kidney disease indicates the existence of system-level inequities. Equitable implementation of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) programs must address issues of availability, affordability, and acceptability. The major structural factors that impact equity in KRT in different countries are the organization of health systems, overall health care spending, funding and delivery models, and nature of KRT prioritization (transplantation, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and conservative care). Implementation of KRT programs has the potential to exacerbate inequity unless equity is deliberately addressed. In this review, we summarize discussions on equitable provision of KRT in low- and middle-income countries and suggest areas for future research., (© 2020 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study was designed to investigate the biocompatibility of hemodialysis procedures, largely depending on the contact of patient's blood with the dialysis membranes. We addressed the issue by comparing the content of the proteolytic enzymes collagenase and cathepsin B and that of neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood before and after a single session treatment and a full course of successive 8-week-long therapies with three types of hemodialysis: low-flux (lfHD), high-flux (hfHD), and post-dilution hemodiafiltration (HDF). The study included 19 patients with chronic nephropathy. We found that collagenase significantly increased after a single session of each type of hemodialysis. Cathepsin B tended to decrease after single sessions; the decrease reached significance only after hfHD. CRP increased significantly after single hfHD and HDF treatments. These changes were meager, with no differences depending on the dialysis type, and their significance was lost after 8-week-long therapy, except the persisting increase in CRP after HDF. Neutrophil MPO apparently was not activated during any type of dialysis, as its content was below the detection threshold. We conclude that all three types of hemodialysis are compatible with the biological system, so that they would rather unlikely lead to clinically harmful effects in chronically hemodialyzed patients. Nonetheless, proteolytic enzymes and myeloperoxidase seem hardly appropriable estimators of hemodialysis biocompatibility due to meager and variable changes. Upregulation of C-reactive protein, on the other hand, expresses a general pro-inflammatory propensity of hemodialysis and is not a suitable estimator of biocompatibility either.

Background and Objectives: Provision of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) to manage kidney injury and volume overload in critically ill neonates and small children is technically challenging. The use of machines designed for adult-sized patients, necessitates large catheters, a high extracorporeal volume relative to patient size, and need for blood priming. The Aquadex FlexFlow System (CHF Solutions Inc., Eden Prairie, MN) is an ultrafiltration device designed for fluid removal in adults with diuretic resistant heart failure. It has an extracorporeal volume of 33 ml, which can potentially mitigate some complications seen at onset of KRT in smaller infants., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: In this multicenter, retrospective case series of children who received KRT with an ultrafiltration device ( n =119 admissions, 884 circuits), we report demographics, circuit characteristics, complications, and short- and long-term outcomes. Patients were grouped according to weight (<10, 10-20, and >20 kg), and received one of three modalities: slow continuous ultrafiltration, continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), or prolonged intermittent KRT. Our primary outcome was survival to end of KRT., Results: Treatment patterns and outcomes varied between the groups. In patients who weighed <10 kg, the primary indication was AKI in 40%, volume overload in 46%, and ESKD in 14%. These patients primarily received CVVH (66%, n =48) and prolonged intermittent KRT (21%, n =15). In the group weighing >20 kg, volume overload was the primary indication in 91% and slow continuous ultrafiltration was the most common modality. Patients <10 kg had lower KRT survival than those >20 kg (60% versus 97%), more volume overload at onset, and received KRT for a longer duration. Cardiovascular complications at initiation were seen in 3% of treatments and none were severe. Complications during therapy were seen in 15% treatments and most were vascular access-related., Conclusions: We report the first pediatric experience using an ultrafiltration device to provide a range of therapies, including CVVH, prolonged intermittent KRT, and slow continuous ultrafiltration. We were able to initiate KRT with minimal complications, particularly in critically ill neonates. There is an unmet need for devices specifically designed for younger patients. Having size-appropriate machines will improve the care of smaller children who require kidney support., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) contributes to and complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD). We describe AKI documented in hospital encounters in patients with CKD from the CKD Queensland registry., Study Design: A retrospective cohort study during 2011 to 2016., Setting & Participants: Participants had been admitted to a hospital in Queensland., Predictors: AKI was identified from International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification codes., Outcomes: All-cause mortality with or without kidney replacement therapy (KRT), start-up KRT and maintenance KRT, costs of care., Analytical Approach: Time to outcomes for those with versus without AKI was evaluated using Cox regression models. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare number of admissions, hospitalized days and costs by AKI status., Results: Among 6,365 patients followed up for up to 5.4 years, 2,199 (35%) had 4,711 hospital encounters with an AKI diagnosis. Those with AKI were older (68 vs 64 years old), were more often men (36.7% vs 32.2%; P  < 0.001), had more advanced CKD stages (stage 3b, 34%; stage 4, 35%; and stage 5, 10%), had more admissions (12 vs 5; P  < 0.001), and stayed in the hospital longer (56 vs 14 days; P  < 0.001) than those without AKI. Almost 90% of AKI admissions were through the emergency department. Of those with AKI, 554 (25%) subsequently died without any form of KRT and 285 (13%) started KRT, compared with 282 (6.8%) who died and 315 (7.6%) who started KRT among those without AKI; P  < 0.001 for each. Adjusted for other significant factors, hazard ratios for all deaths or death without KRT were 2.95 (95% CI, 2.56-3.39; P  < 0.001) and 3.02 (95% CI, 2.60-3.51; P  < 0.001), respectively, in patients with AKI relative to those without AKI. The hazard ratio for all KRT was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.18-1.66; P  < 0.001), and for maintenance KRT was 1.21 (95% CI, 0.98-1.48; P  = 0.07). Mean total hospital cost in patients with AKI was more than triple that of patients with no AKI (A $93,042 vs A $30,778; P  < 0.001)., Limitations: These findings may not be generalizable to CKD populations from the general community or in other health care environments., Conclusions: AKI is associated with strikingly increased deaths, increased rates of KRT, and higher hospital costs., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Acute pancreatitis is a common disorder of the pancreas. It is the most frequent gastrointestinal cause for hospitalization and one of the leading causes of in-hospital deaths. Its severity ranges from mild self-limited disease to severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis characterized by systemic complications and multiorgan failure. Severe acute pancreatitis develops in about 20% of patients with acute pancreatitis and may be associated with multiorgan failure (respiratory, cardiovascular, and kidney). AKI is a frequent complication of severe acute pancreatitis and develops late in the course of the disease, usually after the failure of other organs. It carries a very poor prognosis, particularly if kidney replacement therapy is required, with mortality rates exceeding 75%. The exact pathophysiology of AKI in acute pancreatitis remains unclear but appears to result from initial volume depletion followed by complex vascular and humoral factors. Here, we provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, causes, and management of AKI in patients with severe acute pancreatitis., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Background and Objectives: Major adverse kidney events, a composite of death, new kidney replacement therapy, or persistent kidney dysfunction, is a potential patient-centered outcome for clinical trials in sepsis-associated kidney injury. We sought to determine the incidence of major adverse kidney events within 30 days and validate this end point in pediatric sepsis., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: We conducted a retrospective observational study using the Pediatric Health Information Systems Plus database of patients >6 months to <18 years old with a diagnosis of severe sepsis/septic shock; orders for bacterial blood culture, antibiotics, and at least one fluid bolus on hospital day 0/1; and known hospital disposition between January 2007 and December 2011. The primary outcome was incidence of major adverse kidney events within 30 days. Major adverse kidney events within 30 days were validated against all-cause mortality at hospital discharge, hospital length of stay, total hospital costs, hospital readmission within 30 days and 1 year, and lowest eGFR between 3 months and 1 year after discharge. We reported incidence of major adverse kidney events within 30 days with 95% confidence intervals using robust SEM and used multivariable logistic regression to test the association of major adverse kidney events within 30 days with hospital costs and mortality., Results: Of 1685 admissions, incidence of major adverse kidney events within 30 days was 9.6% (95% confidence interval, 8.1% to 11.0%), including 4.5% (95% confidence interval, 3.5% to 5.4%) death, 1.7% (95% confidence interval, 1.1% to 2.3%) kidney replacement therapy, and 5.8% (95% confidence interval, 4.7% to 6.9%) persistent kidney dysfunction. Patients with versus without major adverse kidney events within 30 days had higher all-cause mortality at hospital discharge (28% versus 1%; P <0.001), higher total hospital costs ($61,188; interquartile range, $21,272-140,356 versus $28,107; interquartile range, $13,056-72,697; P <0.001), and higher proportion with eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 between 3 months and 1 year after discharge (19% versus 4%; P =0.001). Major adverse kidney events within 30 days was not associated with length of stay or readmissions., Conclusions: In children with sepsis, major adverse kidney events within 30 days are common, feasible to measure, and a promising end point for future clinical trials., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Genetic factors seem to play a more important role early in the course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), whereas nongenetic factors seem to play a more important role over the course of the disease. SLE is more frequent with less favorable outcomes in nonwhite populations. To overcome these differences and reduce the immediate-term, mediate-term, and long-term impact of SLE among disadvantaged populations, it is essential to increase disease awareness, to improve access to health care and to provide care to these patients in a consistent manner regardless of the severity of their disease., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mortality is highest in the first months of maintenance hemodialysis (HD) therapy. In many Western countries, patients who transition to kidney replacement therapy usually begin thrice-weekly HD regardless of their level of residual kidney function (RKF). RKF is a major predictor of survival. RKF may decline more rapidly with thrice-weekly HD treatments, is associated with a reduced need for dialytic solute clearance, and is an important factor in the prescription of peritoneal dialysis. In this article, we review the concept of incremental HD, in which weekly dialysis dose, in particular HD treatment frequency, is based on a variety of clinical factors, such as RKF (including urine output > 0.5 L/d), volume status, cardiovascular symptoms, body size, potassium and phosphorus levels, nutritional status, hemoglobin level, comorbid conditions, hospitalizations, and health-related quality of life. These 10 clinical criteria may identify which patients might benefit from beginning maintenance HD therapy twice weekly. Periodic monitoring of these criteria will determine the timing for increasing dialysis dose and frequency. We recognize that twice-weekly HD represents a major paradigm shift for many clinicians and jurisdictions. Therefore, we propose conducting randomized controlled trials of twice-weekly versus thrice-weekly HD to assess the potential of twice-weekly HD to improve survival and health-related quality of life while simultaneously reducing costs, protecting fragile vascular accesses, and optimizing resource use during the first year of hemodialysis therapy. Such incremental and individualized HD therapy may prove to be the most appropriate approach for transitioning to dialytic therapy., (Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)