International Society of Nephrology 0 by 25 Project: Lessons Learned

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common disorder with a high risk of mortality and development of chronic kidney disease. With the validation of the recent classification systems, RIFLE in 2004 and KDIGO, in use today, our understanding of AKI has evolved. We now know that community-acquired AKI is also associated with an increased risk of worse outcomes. In addition, several epidemiological studies, including cohorts from low-income and low-middle income countries, have confirmed common risk factors for community-acquired AKI. In 2013, the International Society of Nephrology launched the 0 by 25 campaign with the goal that no patient should die from preventable or untreated AKI in low-resource areas by 2025 [Mehta et al.: Lancet 2015;385:2616-43]. The initial effort of the initiative was a meta-analysis of AKI epidemiology around the world. The second project of the 0 by 25 initiative, the Global AKI Snapshot (GSN) study, provided insights into the recognition, treatment, and outcomes of AKI worldwide [Mehta et al.: Lancet 2016;387:2017-25]. Following the GSN, a Pilot Project was designed to test whether education and a simple protocol-based approach can improve outcomes in patients at risk of community-acquired AKI in low-resource settings [Macedo: J Am Soc Nephrol 2017]. In this review, we will comment on the main findings and lessons learned from the 0 by 25 initiative.