Challenges facing early detection of acute kidney injury in the critically ill

Recent advances in the detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) afford the possibility of early intervention. Proteomics and genomics have identified many markers of tubular cell injury, some of which are manifest in the urine. One trial has used novel injury biomarkers to recruit patients to an intervention prior to an elevation in plasma creatinine. This trial and other recent studies have shown that the use of biomarkers of injury will depend on the time the patient presents following insult to the kidney, the likely cause of that insult, and the pre-injury renal function of that patient. The definition of AKI is likely to change in the near future to include a measure of injury. We anticipate novel therapies becoming available following successful trials that utilize the methodology of early intervention following an elevated injury biomarker.