Community-acquired acute kidney injury in Asia

Asia, the largest continent in the world, is heterogeneous in the ethnic, socioeconomic, and developmental status of its populations. A vast majority of it is poor with no adequate access to modern health care, making an accurate estimation of the nature and extent of acute kidney injury (AKI) difficult. Community-acquired AKI in otherwise healthy individuals is common, and the population developing AKI is younger compared with its counterparts in Europe or North America. The etiologic spectrum varies in different geographic regions of Asia depending on environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Some of the etiologic factors include AKI in relation to infectious diseases, intravascular hemolysis caused by glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, poisonings caused by industrial chemicals or copper sulphate, animal venoms, natural medicines, heat stroke, and after complications of pregnancy. Preventive opportunities are missed because of failure to recognize the risk factors and early signs of AKI. Patients often present late for treatment, leading to multi-organ involvement and increased mortality. The exact etiologic diagnosis cannot be established in many instances because of a lack of appropriate laboratory support. Modern methods of renal replacement therapy are not universally available; and intermittent peritoneal dialysis is still widely practiced in many areas.