Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mortality and CKD risk have not been described in military casualties with post-traumatic AKI requiring RRT suffered in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This is a retrospective case series of post-traumatic AKI requiring RRT in 51 military health care beneficiaries (October 7, 2001-December 1, 2013), evacuated to the National Capital Region, documenting in-hospital mortality and subsequent CKD. Participants were identified using electronic medical and procedure records. RESULTS: Age at injury was 26±6 years; of the participants, 50 were men, 16% were black, 67% were white, and 88% of injuries were caused by blast or projectiles. Presumed AKI cause was acute tubular necrosis in 98%, with rhabdomyolysis in 72%. Sixty-day all-cause mortality was 22% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 12% to 35%), significantly less than the 50% predicted historical mortality (P<0.001). The VA/NIH Acute Renal Failure Trial Network AKI integer score predicted 60-day mortality risk was 33% (range, 6%-96%) (n=49). Of these, nine died (mortality, 18%; 95% CI, 10% to 32%), with predicted risks significantly miscalibrated (P<0.001). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the AKI integer score was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.56 to 0.88), not significantly different than the AKI integer score model cohort (P=0.27). Of the 40 survivors, one had ESRD caused by cortical necrosis. Of the remaining 39, median time to last follow-up serum creatinine was 1158 days (range, 99-3316 days), serum creatinine was 0.85±0.24 mg/dl, and eGFR was 118±23 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). No eGFR was <60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2), but it may be overestimated because of large/medium amputations in 54%. Twenty-five percent (n=36) had proteinuria; one was diagnosed with CKD stage 2. CONCLUSIONS: Despite severe injuries, participants had better in-hospital survival than predicted historically and by AKI integer score. No patient who recovered renal function had an eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) at last follow-up, but 23% had proteinuria, suggesting CKD burden.