Acute kidney injury in critically ill older adults: clinical severity and nursing workload
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

A Large Animal Model for Acute Kidney Injury by Temporary Bilateral Renal Artery Occlusion
Published on: February 2, 2021
Vitória Vieira de Moura1, Tayse Tâmara da Paixão Duarte1, Michelle Zampiere Ipolito1
1Universidade de Brasília, UnB Ceilândia - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil.
Objective:
To determine the incidence and association of acute kidney injury, clinical severity, and nursing workload with prognostic outcomes in older patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit.
Method:
A retrospective cohort study conducted between January and December 2023 in an Intensive Care Unit. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire applied to medical records. Two-sided p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results:
Among the 81 older patients analyzed, 32% developed acute kidney injury. Of these, 22.2% had moderate to severe impairment of renal function. The use of norepinephrine (p=0.019) and the need for mechanical ventilation (p<0.001) were significantly associated with the occurrence of acute kidney injury. In addition, nursing workload was significantly higher in the group with renal impairment (p=0.006).
Conclusion:
A relevant incidence of acute kidney injury of moderate to high severity was observed among older patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Patients with acute kidney injury had a higher nursing workload, as evidenced by higher Nursing Activities Score values. In addition, acute kidney injury was associated with unfavorable prognostic outcomes, including prolonged length of stay and a greater need for advanced support.
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