Perioperative fluid balance and early acute kidney injury after lung transplantation

Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) after lung transplantation (LTx) is an important factor affecting the short-term outcomes. The focus item of transplantation centers is how to improve the incidence of AKI through optimal management during the perioperative period.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of perioperative volume in the development of early AKI following LTx.

The study involved patients who had undergone LTx between October 2018 to December 2021 at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing. The patients were monitored for AKI occurring within 72 hours after LTx, as well as the renal outcomes within 30 days. The perioperative volumes were compared and analyzed to determine the impact on various clinical outcomes.

248 patients were enrolled in the study ultimately, with almost half of them (49.6 %) experiencing AKI. 48.8 % of AKI patients received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), with 57.7 % recovered by the end of the 30-day follow-up period. A J-shaped relationship was demonstrated between perioperative volume and AKI incidence. Moreover, maintaining a positive fluid balance would increase the 30-day mortality and lead to poor renal outcomes.

Perioperative volume is an independent risk factor of early AKI after LTx. Positive fluid balance increases the risk of AKI, 30-day mortality, and adverse renal prognosis. The LTx recipients may benefit from a relatively restrict fluid strategy during and after the lung transplantation.