Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is complex disease process that occurs in at least 1 in 5 hospitalised adults persons with an associated mortality rate of 24 %. Emerging evidence suggests that AKI: is under-recognised in clinical practice; predicts an accelerated risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and may be a risk amplifier for many other chronic diseases. Early identification of AKI and those at-risk in the population is crucial for disease prevention programmes in order to reduce adverse outcomes. The epidemiology of AKI in the Irish Health System is poorly characterised with limited data on the extent, severity, risk associations, and its clinical consequences.
This proposed research programme will 1) Estimate the frequency and severity of AKI in the Irish health system 2) Quantify the risk of AKI on kidney disease progression, risk of ESKD and death 3) Evaluate patterns of recovery from AKI, associated quality of care, and the extent to which these impact on long-term outcomes
Through a newly formed consortium of clinical investigators from the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, we will carefully assemble an observational cohort of adult patients with serial measures of kidney function within the Irish Health System. Cross-linkage of regional laboratory information systems with kidney disease registers, and national hospitaliation and mortality registries will facilitate ascertainment of clinical outcomes within the confines of an approved Data Coordination Centre. This novel approach will provide a cost-effective solution for describing the natural history of AKI in the health system and its clinical consequences. Better understanding of this complex illness will help inform national policy on its prevention and management.
