Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have created a scoring model that uses key health indicators to accurately predict recovery for patients who experience kidney failure due to acute kidney injury (AKI), which occurs when kidneys stop working properly and can range from minor loss of kidney function to complete failure. AKI is a major contributor to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). About a third of patients with ESKD due to AKI recover kidney function.
Their findings, published in the Clinical Kidney Journal , predict kidney recovery within 90 days and 12 months after the start of dialysis for kidney failure patients due to AKI. The study looked at the health outcomes of 22,922 patients from the U.S.
Renal Data System from 2005 to 2014 to offer predictions. Lead author Silvi Shah, MD, associate professor in the Division of Nephrology at UC, explains that researchers examined several factors used in logistic regression models to analyze the effect of various covariates on a patient's health outcome and found that 24% and 34% of patients with kidney failure due to AKI recovered kidney function within 90 days and 12 months, respectively. Patient factors such as age, race or ethnicity, body mass index, congestive heart failure, cancer, amputation, functional status, hemoglobin and prior nephrology care are used in the regression model.
One of the significant comorbidities was a history of heart failure. If you had heart failure, you were at a lower ch.