ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY — AN UNDERESTIMATED PROBLEM IN PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE

Acute kidney injury (aki) frequently occurs in critically ill children and adults, with 5–20% of patients experiencing an episode during their stay in an intensive care unit. aki rarely is an isolated event and is associated with a broader spectrum of diseases, including sepsis and respiratory insufficiency, and often progresses into multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. despite recent advancements in renal replacement therapy (rrt), mortality among patients who sustain aki complicated by multiorgan dysfunction appears to have remained unchanged and is estimated at approximately 50%. recent clinical evidence suggests that aki is not only an indicator for severity of illness, but that it also leads to earlier onset of multiorgan dysfunction with profound effects on mortality rates. the aim of this paper is to inform medical professionals involved in the paediatric intensive care of recent advances in aki diagnosis and management. studies were identified from medline (ovid), pubmed, and the cochrane library for topics relevant to aki. there is limited evidence in paediatrics regarding effective therapy for acute kidney injury, a significant problem in the paediatric intensive care unit that extends length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and overall mortality. sublethal kidney injury may be contributing to overall morbidity. prospective clinical trials are needed to evaluate specific diagnostic aids, such as biomarkers, and therapeutic strategies like early initiation of continuous rrt in children with fluid overload.