| [ Summary ] |
The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has increased over the past decade. The number of AKI cases not requiring dialysis therapy is 200 to 500 cases per 100,000 persons per year. The number of patients requiring dialysis post-AKI is 20 to 30 cases per 100,000 persons per year in the general population. We also found the number of AKI patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) was 13.3 cases per 100,000 persons per year, a rate comparable to those observed in previous studies in the US and Scotland. The incidence of hospital-acquired AKI requiring dialysis has increased at a rate of 10 % per year. Elderly (≥75 years old) and male patients had higher rates of dialysis related AKI. The incidence of AKI ranges from 10 to 60 % in intensive care units (ICU) with a higher incidence in septic patients. The prognosis for survival in AKI patients is still poor. AKI is a potent risk factor for the progression of end-stage renal disease. In addition, the cost of AKI treatment is very high. Thus, it remains an important issue as to how we maximum detect the presence of AKI in the early stages, and how to control the progression of AKI. |