David Askenazi, M.D. One of every four children admitted to pediatric intensive care units around the world develops acute kidney injury, which increases the risk of death and leads to longer and more intensive hospitalizations, according to a study published online in The New England Journal of Medicine. The University of Alabama at Birmingham in partnership with Children’s of Alabama were one of 36 hospitals across the world, representing 25 countries in 6 continents to collaborate in this Pediatric Prospective AKI (ppAKI) collaborative study.
“This is a landmark study in the field of pediatric AKI, given the global nature of the study and its important findings," said David Askenazi, M.D., director of the Pediatric and Infant Center for Acute Nephrology (PICAN) and professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics Division of Nephrology. “Not only do we show that about a quarter of children in the ICU have AKI, but the size of the study allows us to conclude that these children have worse clinical outcomes, even after you account for multiple other variables. This suggests that preventive strategies and interventions may improve survival, reduce hospital duration and costs."