Acute Kidney Injury: Incidence, aetiology, management and outcome measures of a Samoan case series

Nathan Maligi Chadwick; Mai Ling Perman; Folototo Leavai; Annette Kaspar

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103362

Acute Kidney Injury: Incidence, aetiology, management and outcome measures of a Samoan case series

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Feb 11:75:103362. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103362. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Nathan Maligi Chadwick^{1

2}, Mai Ling Perman², Folototo Leavai¹, Annette Kaspar³

Affiliations

¹ Medical Unit, Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, Ministry of Health, Apia, Samoa.
² Internal Medicine Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji.
³ Research Consultant, Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, Ministry of Health, Apia, Samoa.

Abstract

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a major and under-recognised cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden of AKI (85%). There is currently no published literature on AKI from the Pacific Islands. The aim of the present study was to report the incidence, aetiology, management and outcomes measures of AKI from the tertiary referral hospital of Samoa.

Materials and methods: Single-centre prospective observational study. Participants were recruited by the lead investigator from the hospital patient information system. The inclusion criteria for participation was (1) adults (>18 years) admitted to general wards of Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) Hospital with a diagnosis of AKI between December 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020, and (2) serum creatinine level of >200 μmol/L, and (3) compliance with the current Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria for AKI diagnosis. The data collection form was adapted from the International Society for Nephrology - Global Snapshot Project, and recorded demographic and baseline characteristics, precipitating causes of AKI, treatment/management, and outcomes measures.

Results: There was a total of 114 AKI admissions over the study period corresponding to a hospital-based AKI incidence of 26.8 per 1000 admissions per 6 months. 75% of AKI cases were community acquired. The leading causes of AKI were dehydration (79%) and sepsis (64%). More than 40% of cases presented with two or more Non-Communicable Disease co-morbidities. The in-patient mortality rate was 20.2%. In the 3 months following discharge from hospital, 25% of AKI cases had completely resolved, 25% of patients had died, and 18.7% of AKI cases had progressed to chronic kidney disease. The leading causes of mortality were cardiovascular events (35%) and sepsis (35%).

Conclusions: The hospital-based incidence and unfavourable outcomes of AKI are high in Samoa. Greater awareness of this under-recognised condition is warranted among the public, government officers, and health professionals.

Keywords: AKI, Acute Kidney Injury; Acute kidney injury; Aetiology; Case series; Complications; ISN, International Society of Nephrology; Incidence; KDIGO, Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes; LLMICs, Low- and Lower-Middle Income Countries; NCDs, Non-Communicable Diseases; Pacific islands; Prevention; TTM, Tupua Tamasese Meaole.