Incidence and risk factors of acute kidney injury in ICU patients at Rasoul Akram hospital: Implications for mortality and outcomes

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common complication in patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs), which can lead to increased length of stay, treatment costs, and patient mortality. Specific preventive and therapeutic methods, such as appropriate fluid therapy and reducing the use of nephrotoxic drugs, can help alleviate acute kidney injury. This study aims to investigate the incidence of acute kidney injury in ICU-admitted patients. Methods and Material: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the ICU of Rasoul Akram Hospital. Patients admitted to this unit were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. Exclusion criteria included the presence of known kidney disease at admission (such as a history of dialysis, hematuria, kidney failure, etc.) and oliguria or creatinine levels above 1.5. Upon entering the study, a checklist was prepared for each patient, including demographic variables (age, gender, body mass index) and relevant medical history (history of kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes), as well as laboratory tests for kidney function. Results: The collected data were analyzed to determine the incidence of acute kidney injury in these patients and to examine its association with demographic and clinical variables. The average age of the 100 participating patients was 65.8 years ± 13.8. Of these, 79% were discharged, and 21% died. The most common reasons for hospitalization included sepsis and decreased consciousness levels. Additionally, 50% of the patients had hypertension, and 40% were diabetic. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with AKI (p=0.002). The incidence of a history of colicky pain and underlying conditions such as diabetes and hypertension was also considerably higher in patients with AKI. However, no significant difference was observed in the incidence of organ failure. In the group with a history of diabetes, the incidence of AKI was 50%, while in patients without a history of diabetes, this rate was lower at 25%. Conclusion: The study highlighted a high incidence of AKI in the ICU of Rasoul Akram Hospital (35%) and the increased mortality rate in these patients. Therefore, prevention, rapid diagnosis, and treatment methods for acute kidney injury are crucial. Identifying risk factors and implementing appropriate strategies can help reduce complications and improve clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized in the ICU.