Challenges in the Care of Patients with AKI Receiving Outpatient Dialysis: AKINow Recovery Workgroup Report.

Background: Up to one third of survivors of AKI that required dialysis (AKI-D) during hospitalization remain dialysis dependent at hospital discharge. Of these, 20%-60%, depending on the clinical setting, eventually recover enough kidney function to stop dialysis, and the remainder progress to ESKD.

Methods: To describe the challenges facing those still receiving dialysis on discharge, the AKINow Committee conducted a group discussion comprising 59 participants, including physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, and patients.

Subgroups of Patients with Distinct Health Utility Profiles after AKI.

Key Points: Health utility profiles can be identified at 60 days after AKI. Patient subgroups with distinct health utility profiles have different characteristics at index hospitalization and outcomes at 1 year. These profiles may be useful when considering resources to improve the physical and emotional health of patients after AKI.

Renal Recovery and Mortality Risk among Patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome Receiving Chronic Maintenance Dialysis.

Background: Kidney replacement therapy is controversial for patients with hepatorenal syndrome who may not be liver transplant candidates. Data surrounding the likelihood of recovery of kidney function and mortality after outpatient dialysis initiation in patients with dialysis-requiring hepatorenal syndrome could inform discussions between patients and providers.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with hepatorenal syndrome who were registered in the United States Renal Data System between 1996 and 2015 (=7830) as receiving maintenance dialysis.

Higher plasma cystatin C is associated with mortality after acute respiratory distress syndrome: findings from a Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial (FACTT) substudy.

Background: Cystatin C is a well-validated marker of glomerular filtration rate in chronic kidney disease. Higher plasma concentrations of cystatin C are associated with worse clinical outcomes in heterogenous populations of critically ill patients and may be superior to creatinine in identifying kidney injury in critically ill patients. We hypothesized that elevated levels of plasma cystatin C in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) would be associated with mortality risk.

The value of kinetic glomerular filtration rate estimation on medication dosing in acute kidney injury.

Background: In acute kidney injury (AKI), medication dosing based on Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance (CrCl) or Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) are not valid when serum creatinine (SCr) is not in steady state. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a kinetic estimating equation that incorporates fluctuations in SCrs on drug dosing in critically ill patients.

Methods: We used data from participants enrolled in the NIH Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network Fluid and Catheters Treatment Trial to simulate drug dosing category changes with the application of the kinetic estimating equation developed by Chen.

Performance of non-traditional hyperglycemia biomarkers by chronic kidney disease status in older adults with diabetes: Results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: In people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), HbA1c may be a problematic measure of glycemic control. Glycated albumin and fructosamine have been proposed as better markers of hyperglycemia in CKD. In the present study we investigated associations of HbA1c, glycated albumin, and fructosamine with fasting glucose by CKD categories.

AKI Adjudication: Do We Need It.

Adjudication, which comes from the Latin term "adjudicare" (to act as a judge), uses expert opinion to define and classify disease entities. The use of clinical adjudication may help to define more homogeneous disease subsets but comes at the expense of effort needed and generalizability. Here, we will describe the pros and cons of acute kidney injury (AKI) adjudication under varied circumstances.

A literature review and survey of childhood pneumonia etiology studies: 2000-2010.

The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) project is the largest multicountry etiology study of childhood pneumonia since the Board on Science and Technology in International Development studies of the 1980s. However, it is not the only recent or ongoing pneumonia etiology study, and even with seven sites, it cannot capture all epidemiologic settings in the developing world. Funding providers, researchers and policymakers rely on the best available evidence to strategically plan programs, new research directions and interventions.