Pediatric Nephrology - What’s new in AKI: a topical collection
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is defined as a sudden decline in kidney function and is associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality. While AKI can resolve with recovery of kidney function, it is also a risk factor for progression to chronic kidney disease in later life. The standard approach for diagnosing AKI involves serum creatinine, which is neither sensitive nor specific, and only rises once significant injury has already occurred. In children, AKI is common in neonatal and pediatric intensive care settings for many reasons, including prematurity, surgery, underlying illness and treatment with nephrotoxic medications. Reported rates of AKI and outcomes have varied widely, in part due to using different classification systems and the lack of accurate biomarkers for timely diagnosis. In recent years greater consensus has been reached among pediatric nephrologists and intensivists, but there are still many unanswered questions and areas for development. Can panels of biomarkers provide specific, sensitive and timely AKI diagnosis? How can AKI be better avoided in the PICU/NICU? What is the optimal treatment for AKI? What are the long-term outcomes for childhood AKI? The ‘What’s New in AKI’ Topical Collection will draw together the most recent developments in this important field.