Awareness of acute kidney injury risk factors and perspectives on its practice guidelines

Identifying and assessing risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) are crucial for its early detection and possible intervention to prevent AKI and associated adverse outcomes. This study aimed to investigate AKI risk factor awareness and risk assessment by healthcare professionals and to evaluate perspectives on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes AKI guidelines.

This cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among healthcare professionals (physicians and pharmacists) at XXX from December 2016 to February 2017.

Among the respondents (117 physicians and 135 pharmacists), 78% were aged ≤38 years, 57% were men, and 70% had <9 years of experience. Respondents varied in their knowledge of the 25 risk factors for AKI and 15 nephrotoxic drugs: 96% were aware of nephrotoxic medication, whereas 20% acknowledged female sex as an AKI risk factor, and 92% agreed with aminoglycoside, while 47% agreed with ciprofloxacin as nephrotoxic drugs. A significantly higher percentage of physicians identified individual AKI risk factors than pharmacists; however, a significantly higher percentage of pharmacists identified individual AKI-causing drugs than physicians. Although 77% of respondents encountered AKI cases in their practice, only half of them performed AKI risk assessment, and 42% stratified patients' AKI risk according to their presenting risk factors or documented AKI in previous medical history. Seventy-one percent of respondents agreed that practice guidelines improve patient outcome, and 69% thought these guidelines help standardize care and ensure that patients are treated in consistently.

While the majority of the respondents had a positive perspective toward AKI guidelines, a large variation in their knowledge of AKI risk factors, risk assessment, and nephrotoxic drugs was found. Educational efforts are needed to raise awareness and thereby reduce this variation.