Risk factors for acute kidney injury in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for case-control studies comparing the clinical characteristics of patients with SAP with and without AKI. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models, based on heterogeneity.

Results: Five studies involving 795 patients with SAP were included, of whom 173 (21.8 %) developed AKI. All studies were of high quality according to the NOS. Among the 17 potential risk factors that were analysed, a history of alcohol consumption (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 0.54-10.43, p < 0.001), elevated serum amylase (OR = 4.50, 95% CI = 1.77-11.43, p = 0.002) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 0.49-2.64, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI. However, hypertension (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.60-2.16, p = 0.69) and diabetes (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 0.51-6.95, p = 0.34) were not significantly associated with AKI risk. Based on funnel plots, no obvious publication bias was detected.

Conclusions: A history of alcohol consumption, elevated serum amylase and APACHE II score are significant risk factors for AKI in patients with SAP. For early intervention, clinical physicians should be vigilant about the risk of AKI in patients with SAP with these factors. More high-quality studies are needed to validate these findings and explore other potential risk factors.