II. Management: General
- Consult Nephrology early in course
- Most patients with Acute Kidney Injury require hospitalization (except mild cases with known reversible cause)
- Eliminate Nephrotoxic Drugs
- Consider renal replacement therapy (see Dialysis indications below)
- Consider specific therapy for underlying Acute Kidney Injury cause
- Example: Corticosteroids or Immunosuppressants in Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis
- Nutritional Intake
- Maintain 30-50 KCal/Kg/day
- Hemodynamic stability is critical to maintain renal perfusion
- See Volume status below
- Manage hyperglycemuia in Diabetes Mellitus
- Keep plasma Glucose 110-149 mg/dl
- Manage Electrolyte abnormalities (see below)
- Hyperkalemia (see below)
- Metabolic Acidosis (see below)
- Hyperphosphatemia
- Hypermagnesemia
- Hyponatremia
- Hypernatremia
III. Management: Volume Status
- Monitoring
- See Inferior Vena Cava Ultrasound for Volume Status
- Central venous catheter is often required
- Normal Volume Status
- Limit Fluid Intake to Urine Output + 300-500 ml/day
- Limit Sodium Intake to 2 grams per day
- Volume Overloaded
- Limit Fluid intake to less than Urine Output
- Limit Sodium Intake to less than 2 grams per day
- Consider Loop Diuretic (e.g. IV Furosemide)
- Consider Hemodialysis
- Volume Depleted
- First: Restore Volume with Isotonic Saline
- Crystalloid is preferred over albumin, Dextrans and other hyperoncotic solutions
- Balanced Crystalloid (Lactated Ringers, Plasmalyte) are preferred over Normal Saline
- Next: Limit Intake to Urine Output + 300-500 ml/day
- Limit Sodium intake to 2 grams per day
- First: Restore Volume with Isotonic Saline
-
Hypotension
- Replace volume as above
- Maintain mean arterial pressure >65 mmHg
-
Vasopressors may be needed for pressure support
- Renal dose Dopamine is not recommended (worse outcomes)
IV. Management: Potassium
-
Hyperkalemia
- Look for Potassium source
- Eliminate ParenteralPotassium
- Reduce Dietary Potassium intake <50 meq per day
- Consider Potassium binding resin (Kayexalate)
- Aggressive management if Serum Potassium >6 mEq/L
- See Hyperkalemia Management
- Consider Dialysis
- Normokalemia
- Limit Potassium intake to 50 meq per day
V. Management: Acid-Base Status
- Acidemia
- Look for cause of acidosis (See Arterial Blood Gas)
- Reduce Protein intake to 0.6 g/kg/day
- Aggressive management if pH <7.2 or bicarbonate <15
- Consider oral bicarbonate or
- Consider isotonic IV bicarbonate
- Consider Dialysis
- Normal pH
- Limit Protein intake to 0.8 g/kg/day
VI. Management: Uremia
- Absent
- Limit Protein intake to 0.9 g/kg/day
- Present
- Reduce Protein to 0.6 g/kg/day
- Check for Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- See Dialysis indications below
VII. Management: Hemodialysis Indications
- See Hemodialysis Indications
- Blood Urea Nitrogen >100 mg/dl
- Serum Creatinine >10 mg/dl
- Uremic Signs (e.g. Pericarditis, Encephalopathy)
- Significant bleeding
- Refractory severe Metabolic Acidosis (pH <7.20 despite normal or low pCO2)
- Refractory severe Hyperkalemia (Potassium >6.0 to 6.5)
- Volume Overload (e.g. refractory pulomary edema)
- Anuria (minimal urine in 6 hours) or severe Oliguria (urine out <200 ml in 12 hours)
VIII. Management: Medications
- Assess medications for toxicity
- Check drug levels
- Adjust dosages for Renal Function
- Stop Nephrotoxic Drugs
- See Nephrotoxic Drug
- NSAIDs
- ACE Inhibitors
- Metformin (Glucophage)
- Aminoglycosides
- Avoid repeating Radiocontrast Material
- Avoid high dose Diuretics in critically ill patients
- Avoid Diuretics in relatively resistant patients
- Associated with higher mortality
- Discourages prior strategy to overcome Oliguria
- Mehta (2002) JAMA 288:2547-53 [PubMed]
- Dopamine does not drop ARF risk in critically ill
IX. Management: Post-Discharge Care
- Follow-up visit timing
- Within 3 weeks if slow renal recovery at time of discharge
- Three month follow-up
- Monitoring parameters at follow-up
- Blood Pressure
- Weight
- Serum Creatinine and GFR
- Nephrology Consultation
- Consult nephrology if GFR remains <60 ml/min
-
ACE Inhibitor (ACE) or Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB)
- Consider restarting ACE/ARB once Serum Creatinine returns to baseline (typically within 6 weeks)
- Consider in recent Myocardial Infarction, CHF with reduced EF, Diabetic Nephropathy
- May lower mortality despite risk of recurrent Acute Kidney Injury
- Protocol for ACE/ARB after Serum Creatinine returns to baseline
- Reintroduce the ACE/ARB at low dose
- Recheck Serum Creatinine and Serum Potassium every 2 weeks
- May titrate dose up as needed if labs are reassuring
- Decrease dose to 50% if the secrum Creatinine increases >30%
- Hold the ACE/ARB if Serum Creatinine remains high despite dose reduction
- Hold the ACE/ARB for Serum Potassium >5.5 meq/L
- Once labs and dosing are stable, may spread out lab rechecks
- Decrease lab frequency to every 6-12 months (every 3 months in higher risk patients)
- References
- (2019) Presc Lett 26(2): 7-8
- Consider restarting ACE/ARB once Serum Creatinine returns to baseline (typically within 6 weeks)