Epidemiology of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients

Abstract Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) constitutes a severe and potentially fatal complication frequently encountered in patients exhibiting profound physiological derangement. It aimed to determine the incidence of AKI, delineate the principal predisposing risk factors, and evaluate its impact on clinical outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods 200 critically ill patients enrolled and divided into two groups: AKI group ( n = 122) and non-AKI group ( n = 78). Data collection encompassed socioeconomic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and validated severity-of-illness scoring systems, namely Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Results AKI occurred in 61% of study population. Significant comorbidities associated with its development included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and pre-existing chronic kidney disease ( P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of AKI: advancing age [OR 1.0074 (95% CI 1.0020–1.0128)], lower Glasgow Coma Scale score [OR 0.6106 (95% CI 0.5210–0.7155)], higher APACHE score [OR 1.0346 (95% CI 1.0129–1.0569)], and elevated SOFA score [OR 1.0285 (95% CI 1.0043–1.0533)]. Patients experiencing AKI exhibited substantially prolonged hospital stays (mean 9.52 ± 6.39 days) and ICU durations (mean 8.52 ± 5.96 days) relative to the non-AKI cohort. Recovery was observed in 52 AKI patients (42.62%), whereas mortality reached 46.72% in AKI group, markedly exceeding the 12.82% rate in non-AKI patients ( P < 0.001). Conclusion In critically ill populations, AKI is strongly associated with extended hospital and ICU lengths of stay as well as substantially heightened mortality risk.