Acute renal failure (ARF) often complicates the postoperative period of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT); it is habitually associated with high mortality rates. Similarly, patients undergoing major nonelective abdominal surgery are prone to ARF because of their frequent preexistent morbidities, abdominal sepsis, and needed for extended surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ARF and use of renal replacement therapy (RRT) among OLT versus nonelective abdominal surgery patients and associations with clinical outcomes. We studied all the patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2008 to December 2009 after OLT or nonelective abdominal surgery. The inclusion criteria were an ICU stay of at least 48 hours and without prior end-stage renal failure. OLT patients (n=84) were younger and less severly ill than surgery patients (n=60). ARF occurrence was lower among the OLT (29%) than the surgery group (47%) requiring RRT in 71% and 53% of patients due to ARF, respectively. The ICU mortality of ARF patients in both groups (29% OLT and 51% surgery) were greater than among subjects without ARF (2% and 6%). The occurrence of ARF is common among these two patient groups, and associated with increased risk of death among in surgery (+45%) versus in OLT (+27%) patients.
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