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Critical care nephrology: opportunities for implementing green practices.
Alejandra Molano-Triviño1, Lilia Maria Rizo-Topete2, Eduardo Zúñiga1
1Department of Nephrology, Fundacion Cardioinfantil La Cardio, Bogotá, Colombia.
Frontiers in Medicine
|October 17, 2025
Summary
Critical care nephrology in intensive care units (ICUs) significantly impacts the environment through resource use and waste. Developing sustainable strategies, potentially using artificial intelligence (AI), is crucial for reducing the ecological footprint of kidney care.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Nephrology
- Healthcare Sustainability
Background:
- Healthcare systems contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Intensive care units (ICUs) are highly resource-intensive areas within hospitals.
- Critical care nephrology manages acute kidney injury (AKI) and renal replacement therapies (RRT) in ICUs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the environmental challenges posed by nephrology practice in ICUs.
- To identify gaps in current sustainability strategies for critical care nephrology.
- To propose opportunities, including AI, for promoting sustainable kidney care.
Main Methods:
- Review of environmental impacts associated with nephrology interventions in ICUs.
- Analysis of resource consumption (water, energy) and waste generation.
- Exploration of existing "Green Nephrology" initiatives and their applicability to critical care.
Main Results:
- Nephrology interventions in ICUs, including hemodialysis and CRRT, have substantial environmental costs.
- Significant water consumption and medical waste are generated during RRT.
- Structured sustainability strategies for critical care nephrology are underdeveloped compared to chronic dialysis.
Conclusions:
- There is an urgent need for sustainable practices in critical care nephrology.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) presents a potential opportunity to enhance sustainability in ICU nephrology.
- Integrating environmental considerations into high-quality kidney care is essential for critically ill patients.
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