Use of vasopressors in patients with acute kidney injury on continuous kidney replacement therapy

PLoS One. 2024 Dec 19;19(12):e0315643. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315643. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the use of a specific vasopressor was associated with increased mortality or adverse outcomes in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) receiving continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT).

Methods: Patients with AKI who underwent CKRT between 1/1/2012-1/1/2021 at a tertiary academic hospital were included. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the relationship between time-dependent vasopressor dose and in-hospital mortality.

Results: There were 641 patients with AKI that required CKRT. In-hospital mortality occurred in 318 (49.6%) patients. Those who died were older (63 vs 57 years), had higher SOFA score (10.6 vs 9) and lactate (6 vs 3.3 mmol/L). In multivariable model, increasing doses of norepinephrine [HR 4.4 (95% CI: 2.3-7, p<0.001)] per 0.02 mcg/min/kg and vasopressin [HR 2.6 (95% CI: 1.9-3.2, p = 0.01)] per 0.02 unit/min during CKRT were associated with in-hospital mortality. The model was adjusted for vasopressor doses and fluid balance, SOFA score, lactate and other markers of severity of illness. Baseline vasopressor doses were not associated with mortality. Most vasopressors were associated with positive daily fluid balance. Among survivors at day 30, mean values of vasopressors were not associated with persistent kidney dysfunction.

Conclusion: The associations between norepinephrine and vasopressin with in-hospital mortality could be related to their common use in this cohort.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury* / drug therapy
  • Acute Kidney Injury* / mortality
  • Acute Kidney Injury* / therapy
  • Aged
  • Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy* / methods
  • Female
  • Hospital Mortality*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Norepinephrine / therapeutic use
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Renal Replacement Therapy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Vasopressins / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Vasoconstrictor Agents
  • Norepinephrine
  • Vasopressins

Grants and funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 2U54GM104942-07, awarded to KS, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 1K08DK131286-01A1, awarded to AS. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.