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Updated: Aug 21, 2025

A Large Animal Model for Acute Kidney Injury by Temporary Bilateral Renal Artery Occlusion
Published on: February 2, 2021
Long-term outcomes of acute kidney injury in children
Art Schuermans1, Jef Van den Eynde1, Djalila Mekahli1,2
1PKD Research Group, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven.
Insights
Pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) increases the risk of long-term kidney and heart problems. Survivors require ongoing monitoring to manage these chronic health issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) impacts up to 35% of critically ill children, with significant short-term risks.
- The long-term consequences of pediatric AKI, particularly on kidney and cardiovascular health, are increasingly recognized.
Approach:
- This review synthesizes recent clinical data on the long-term effects of pediatric AKI.
- It emphasizes the role of AKI as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- A framework for monitoring and prevention in high-risk children is proposed.
Key Points:
- Pediatric AKI is a significant risk factor for developing hypertension, CKD, and CVD later in life.
- Vulnerable populations, including critically ill children, cardiac surgery patients, and those with severe infections or cancer, are at higher risk.
- Long-term surveillance of pediatric AKI survivors is crucial for early detection and management of sequelae.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric AKI is linked to serious long-term health issues, including CKD and cardiovascular disease.
- While tailored therapies are under development, proactive monitoring and preventative strategies are essential for high-risk pediatric AKI survivors.
Purpose Of Review:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) affects up to 35% of all critically ill children and is associated with substantial short-term morbidity and mortality. However, the link between paediatric AKI and long-term adverse outcomes remains incompletely understood. This review highlights the most recent clinical data supporting the role of paediatric AKI as a risk factor for long-term kidney and cardiovascular consequences. In addition, it stresses the need for long-term surveillance of paediatric AKI survivors.
Recent Findings:
Recent large-scale studies have led to an increasing understanding that paediatric AKI is a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) over time. These long-term sequelae of paediatric AKI are most often observed in vulnerable populations, such as critically ill children, paediatric cardiac surgery patients, children who suffer from severe infections and paediatric cancer patients.
Summary:
A growing body of research has shown that paediatric AKI is associated with long-term adverse outcomes such as CKD, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Although therapeutic pathways tailored to individual paediatric AKI patients are yet to be validated, we provide a framework to guide monitoring and prevention in children at the highest risk for developing long-term kidney dysfunction.
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