Subclinical AKI and Clinical Outcomes in Elderly Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Diagnostic Utility of NGAL versus Standard Creatinine Increase Criteria.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious postoperative complication in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and its incidence is particularly high among elderly patients. Cardiac surgery-associated AKI (CSA-AKI) represents the second most common cause of AKI in the intensive care unit but its true incidence could be underestimated, especially in elderly population. The current biomarkers of AKI are unreliable and delayed during acute changes in kidney function.