Effect of Inhalational Anesthetics on Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Total incidence of AKI in hospitalized patients is 1%-5%. As many as 30% of these patients develop AKI in the perioperative period, which is associated with anesthesia and surgery. Despite scientific advances and improved surgery techniques, as well as treatment in intensive care units, no significant decrease in AKI incidence has been achieved. To change this outcome, it is important to identify patients at risk of AKI and prevent its occurrence. Correct selection of anesthetic drugs during general anesthesia, adjusted to the individual needs of patients, also influences the overall outcome of treatment. Nowadays, inhalational anesthetics are not considered nephrotoxic. The more so, inhalational anesthetics have a strong and direct protective effect on many organs through preconditioning and postconditioning. New studies have shown that sevoflurane diminishes ischemia/ reperfusion kidney injury and has an anti-inflammatory effect, thus having the potential to reduce the occurrence of AKI. Given the incidence of AKI in the perioperative period, as well as new findings about anesthetics, the issue of anesthetic selection during general anesthesia might be of crucial importance for the final outcome of treatment.