Predicting cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: The CRATE score

J Crit Care. 2016 Feb;31(1):130-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2015.11.004. Epub 2015 Nov 6.

Abstract

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality. The aim was to design a nondialytic AKI score in patients with previously normal renal function undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: Data were collected on 909 patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass between 2012 and 2014. A total of 810 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Patients were classified as having AKI based on the RIFLE criteria. Postoperative AKI occurred in 137 patients (16.9%). Several parameters were recorded preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at intensive care unit admission, looking for a univariate and multivariate association with AKI risk. A second data set of 741 patients, from 2 different hospitals, was recorded as a validation cohort.

Results: Four independent risk factors were included in the CRATE score: creatinine (odds ratio [OR], 9.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.77-19.56; P < .001), EuroSCORE (OR, 1.40; CI, 1.29-1.52; P < .001), lactate (OR, 1.03; CI, 1.01-1.04; P < .001), and cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR, 1.01; CI, 1.01-1.02; P < .001). The accuracy of the model was good, with an area under the curve of 0.89 (CI, 0.85-0.92). The CRATE score retained good discrimination in validation cohort, with an area under the curve of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.78-0.85).

Conclusions: CRATE score is an accurate and easy to calculate risk score that uses affordable and widely available variables in the routine care surgical patients.

Keywords: Cardiac surgery; Renal insufficiency; Risk prediction; Risk score.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / diagnosis*
  • Acute Kidney Injury / etiology
  • Acute Kidney Injury / mortality
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures / adverse effects*
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures / methods
  • Cardiopulmonary Bypass / adverse effects*
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Function Tests
  • Length of Stay / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Postoperative Complications / mortality
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • ROC Curve
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Creatinine