Kidney injury not uncommon after cardiovascular intervention

(HealthDay)—Acute kidney injury (AKI) is seen in about 7 percent of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and is associated with significant in-hospital mortality, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Thomas T. Tsai, M.D., of the University of Colorado in Denver, and colleagues analyzed data from a national registry for 985,737 consecutive patients who underwent PCIs. The authors sought to identify patient characteristics associated with AKI.

The researchers found that AKI occurred in 7.1 percent of patients undergoing PCI, and new dialysis was required in 0.3 percent. Factors that were strongly associated with the development of AKI were ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presentation (odds ratio [OR], 2.60), severe chronic kidney disease (OR, 3.59), and cardiogenic shock (OR, 2.92). The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with AKI (9.7 percent) and those requiring dialysis (34 percent) than in those without AKI (0.5 percent). After adjustment for multiple variables, AKI (OR, 7.8) and dialysis (OR, 21.7) remained independently associated with in-hospital mortality.

"Defining strategies to minimize the risk of AKI in patients undergoing PCI are needed to improve the safety and outcomes of the procedure," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

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