Non-recovery of Kidney Function After AKI

One in five patients admitted to hospital suffer a sudden reduction in kidney function, termed acute kidney injury (AKI). Rather than kidney 'injury' being caused by physical trauma, the term describes reversible damage caused by conditions such as being dehydrated or having an infection. Having AKI puts patients at an increased risk of long-term health problems, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD can also lead to other important health problems including a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. If we can reduce the progression of AKI to CKD this will benefit patients. Currently, there is a gap in the follow-up of patients after AKI due to a lack of evidence about which patients should be followed up and when. Treatments for AKI during the episode and afterwards to prevent CKD are limited. This is mainly due to a lack of understanding about how and when the kidney recovers after AKI. New tools are needed in order to better identify patients at risk of CKD after AKI. This study aims to address these gaps in our knowledge by studying a group of AKI patients in detail. Ultimately, the aim of this study is to produce results that will allow better planning of follow-up for patients as well the planning of future research to develop new treatments to reduce the risk of CKD in people recovering from AKI.