Nephrologic Intervention in Patients Waiting for Cardiac Surgery

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery. Its incidence ranges from 19 to 44% depending on the study and which definition is used: Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification or RIFLE criteria (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Kidney Disease) based on serum creatinine and urine output. AKI is associated with increased mortality, more complications, a longer stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, and increased health care costs. Moreover, the patients who require renal replacement therapy (RRT) have the highest mortality and complications1.The mortality risk in patients developing acute renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery increases by approximately 40%, while the overall mortality rate after cardiac surgery ranges between 2% and 8%. There are some well-known risk factors associated with AKI, including baseline patient characteristics (age and comorbidities), need of perioperative blood transfusion or presence of previous chronic kidney disease. The main objective of this study is to evaluate if a nephrologist management and control of potential risk factors of renal disease can be used to prevent AKI, thereby minimizing the risk of need RRT, reducing costs and improving survival in this patients.