Abstract
Our study aims to evaluate the role of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) as an early surrogate marker in predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality in cardiac ICU patients. The study was conducted at SRN Hospital, excluding those with known renal diseases. Out of 152 patients, 56 developed AKI (cases) and 96 were our controls. Higher NGAL was associated with increased mortality rates (P = 0.0201 and 0.0255 for serum and urinary NGAL respectively). Our study concluded that NGAL measurement at admission may be a boon in improving the outcome of cardiac ICU patients.