Early detection of acute kidney injury through an alert system improves outcomes in hospitalized patients

Acute kidney injury (AKI) acquired in hospital settings has emerged as a significant public health issue. It is linked to prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, heightened risk of developing chronic kidney disease, mortality, and the need for ongoing post-hospitalization care. Our hypothesis suggests that timely recognition of AKI, identification of its underlying causes, and expert management by specialists could lead to improved prognoses for hospitalized patients.

We have devised an electronic-alert system that incorporates an action and follow-up plan overseen by a multidisciplinary team of hospital professionals. We compared the prognosis of patients measured in terms of length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality and improvement of renal function at different points.

Almost 80 % of patients in the Intervention group had a significant decrease in serum creatinine 48 h after the alert. The length of hospital stay was longer in the Non-Intervention group than in the Intervention group: 12 (8 - 20) vs 10 (6 - 15) days (p = 0.002), as was mortality during hospitalization: 34 % of cases vs 19.9 % (p = 0.002). The median survival of the Non-Intervention group was estimated at 20 (14 - 26) days, while that of the Intervention group was estimated at 33 (20 - 45) days.

Our study highlights the importance of closely monitoring at-risk patients for AKI during and after hospitalization. Prompt risk assessment and interventions by healthcare professionals, including clinical laboratory involvement, could improve AKI prognosis.