How to improve the care of patients with acute kidney injury

Excerpt

Almost all patients treated in adult general intensive care units (ICUs) carry an increased risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). This syndrome of abruptly decreased glomerular filtration rate was diagnosed in over 50% of critically ill patients in a multinational cohort study and is associated with a variety of adverse short-term [1] and long-term outcomes [2, 3]. Therefore, being aware of AKI and staying up-to-date regarding the implications of latest clinical research are relevant to all intensivists. This issue of Intensive Care Medicine provides a comprehensive collection of the latest advances in the field of AKI research as well as expert opinions and reviews covering topics about AKI in specific populations [4, 5] as well as key elements of AKI management [6, 7]. This set of papers combines state-of-the-art knowledge and new ideas to improve current clinical practice and represents “required reading” for practicing intensivists with all major aspects of this syndrome being analyzed and reviewed in depth. …