Outcomes after left ventricular assist device implantation in patients with acute kidney injury

The study objective was to compare outcomes for patients with and without acute kidney injury during hospitalizations when left ventricular assist devices are implanted.

By using the National Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2013, we identified patients with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure code for left ventricular assist device implantation (37.66). We ascertained the presence of acute kidney injury and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis using validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. We used logistic regression to examine the association of nondialysis-requiring acute kidney injury and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis with mortality, procedural complications, and discharge destination.

We identified 8362 patients who underwent left ventricular assist device implantation, of whom 3760 (45.0%) experienced nondialysis-requiring acute kidney injury and 426 (5.1%) experienced acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. In-hospital mortality was 3.9% for patients without acute kidney injury, 12.2% for patients with nondialysis-requiring acute kidney injury, and 47.4% for patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. Patients with nondialysis-requiring acute kidney injury and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis had higher adjusted odds of mortality (3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.04-5.13 and 20.8, 95% CI, 9.7-44.2), major bleeding (1.38, 95% CI, 1.08-1.77 and 2.44, 95% CI, 1.47-4.04), sepsis (2.69, 95% CI, 1.93-3.75 and 5.75, 95% CI, 3.46-9.56), and discharge to a nursing facility (2.15, 95% CI, 1.51-3.07 and 5.89, 95% CI, 2.67-12.99).

More than 1 in 10 patients with acute kidney injury and approximately 1 in 2 patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis died during their hospitalization, with only 30% of patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis discharged to home. This information is necessary to support shared decision-making for patients with advanced heart failure and acute kidney injury.