INCIDENCE, RISK FACTORS AND OUTCOMES OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN PRETERM NEWBORNS

Abstract

Acute kidney injury is a sudden loss of renal function that results indeterioration ofthe renal’s ability to excrete urine in sufficient quantity and adequate composition. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of acute kidney injury in pretermnewborns.The study was conducted at theUniversity Clinic of Pediatrics–Skopje.It was a clinical, epidemiological prospective study. In the period of two years, 40preterm newbornshospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)with documentedkidney injury were analyzed. Medical data records of hospitalized preterm infants with kidney injury were processed. The material was statistically analyzed using methods of descriptive statistics. We evaluated 40 preterm newbornswith documented acute kidney injury,who at the period of 2 years were treated in the ICU. The prevalence of kidney injury was 6.9%. Most of the involved preterm newbornswere male(72%),and born at 32 to 37 weeks with low birth weight (58%). Prerenal injury was evaluated in 79.5% of the cases.The mortality rate was 36% and it was significantly higher in the group of preterm infants born under 28 weeks,with Extremely Low Birth Weight Newborns ELBW. (P=0.01). Acute kidney injury is a life threatening condition with a still high mortality rate. Appropriate treatment of kidney injury in newbornswith ELBW improves the outcomes and reduces the mortality of the disease.