Authors: Christian de Virgilio, MD; Dennis Yong Kim, MD
Summary: Many of us have had the unsettling experience of watching the serum creatinine level rise or the urine output dwindle following a complex vascular operation. As kidney function deteriorates, we steel ourselves for the inevitable need for dialysis. The second guessing begins. Was it the contrast? The brief intraoperative hypotension? Or, perhaps a nephrotoxic drug? As the creatinine level ebbs, we breathe a sigh of relief. However, a growing body of literature indicates that we are lulled by a false sense of security. As highlighted in the article by Huber et al, transient acute kidney injury (AKI) in the postoperative period has lasting, long-term, mortal consequences on the heart.
Source:
JAMA Surgery; (12/23/15)