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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

A Large Animal Model for Acute Kidney Injury by Temporary Bilateral Renal Artery Occlusion
Published on: February 2, 2021
[Acute renal failure in critically-ill children. A preliminary study]
A Medina Villanueva1, J López-Herce Cid, Y López Fernández
1Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos (UCIP), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. josealberto.medina@sespa.princast.es
Insights
Acute renal failure (ARF) in critically-ill children is uncommon but leads to high mortality and prolonged pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stays. Mortality is primarily due to multiple organ failure, not the renal condition itself.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Epidemiology of critical illness
Context:
- Acute renal failure (ARF) presents a significant challenge in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
- Understanding ARF characteristics in critically-ill children is crucial for improving outcomes.
- This study analyzes ARF in a pediatric population, excluding premature neonates.
Purpose:
- To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of acute renal failure (ARF) in critically-ill children.
- To establish a foundation for a multicenter study protocol for ARF in this population.
Summary:
- A prospective study in four PICUs identified 16 ARF episodes in 14 children (2.5% of PICU patients).
- Common causes included nephro-urological and heart diseases, with hypovolemia and hypotension as key risk factors.
- High rates of medical complications (94%) and organ dysfunction (81%) were observed, leading to prolonged PICU stays and significant mortality (36%).
Impact:
- Acute renal failure in critically-ill children, though infrequent, is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality.
- The findings highlight that mortality in these cases is predominantly driven by multiple organ failure rather than the renal failure itself.
- This research informs the development of targeted interventions and multicenter study protocols for pediatric ARF.
Objective:
To analyze the characteristics of acute renal failure (ARF) in critically-ill children and develop a protocol for a multicenter study.
Methods:
A prospective, descriptive study was performed in four pediatric intensive care units (PICU) over 5 months. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data from children aged between 7 days and 16 years with ARF were analyzed. Premature neonates were excluded.
Results:
There were 16 episodes of ARF in 14 patients and 62.5 % were male (mean 6 SD age: 50 +/- 49 months). The incidence of ARF was 2.5 % of PICU patients. The most frequent primary diseases were nephro-urological (50 %) and heart disease (31 %). The main risk factors for ARF were hypovolemia (44 %) and hypotension (37 %). Six patients (37.5 %) developed ARF following surgery (cardiac surgery in four, kidney transplantation in one and urological surgery in one). Furosemide was used in 13 patients (as continuous perfusion in nine), inotropes in nine and renal replacement therapy in 12. Medical complications were found in 94 % and some organic dysfunction was found in 81 %. The length of stay in the PICU was 21 +/- 21 days. The probability of death according to the Pediatric Risk of Mortality was 14 +/- 8 %. Five patients died (36 % of the patients and 31.2 % of ARF episodes).
Conclusions:
The incidence of ARF in critically-ill children is low but remains a cause of high mortality and prolonged stay in the PICU. Mortality was caused not by renal failure but by multiple organ failure.
Related Concept Videos
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Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...
Acute Kidney Injury I: Introduction
Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology
Acute Kidney Injury III: Clinical Manifestations
Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention
Acute Kidney Injury V: Interprofessional Care

