Jeeha R, et al. - This study investigated any possible association of admission procalcitonin (PCT) with subsequent development of AKI in a general population of critically ill patients. In the non-septic patient population, subsequent AKI development was significantly associated with an elevated admission PCT.

Methods

• Researchers undertook this retrospective observational study at a multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) over a period of 1 year.
• Using the KDIGO criteria, they assessed AKI development within the first week of ICU admission in adult patients who had a PCT performed on admission and who did not have CKD or AKI on admission.
• They assessed the link between PCT on admission and the development of AKI for the entire cohort and for septic and non-septic subgroups.

Results

• This study included 201 patients.
• Data showed that the incidence of AKI in the first 7 days of ICU admission was 36.8%.
• Univariate analysis indicated a significant association of PCT, age, the presence of shock on admission, and sepsis with AKI.
• Furthermore, age, shock and sepsis remained independent predictors of AKI, while PCT was no longer significant, as demonstrated in multivariable analysis of the entire cohort.
• In addition, separate analysis of septic and non-septic patients showed that a PCT ≥10ng/ml remained the only significant predictor of AKI in the non-septic patients (OR 4.430; 95% CI 1.464-13.399), but was not an independent predictor of AKI in septic patients.