Clinical profile and outcome of patients with acute kidney injury in the Emergency Department of a teaching hospital in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) affects 13.3 million people annually, with 85% in low resource settings. This study aimed to identify AKI profiles and outcomes in Ethiopia's largest teaching hospital's emergency department, focusing on targeted therapy and preventative measures.

METHOD AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at an Ethiopian teaching hospital's Emergency Department from June 1, 2021, to June 1, 2022. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were analyzed. A paired samples T-test was used to compare patient findings.

RESULTS

Among the 222 AKI patients included in the study, 110 (49.5 %) were males, and 112 (50.5 %) were females. The mean age of presentation was 48±18 years old. Most patients were from Addis Ababa (41.4 %) and the Oromia region (40.5 %). The most common causes of AKI were infections (26.2 %), acute glomerulonephritis (20.4 %), volume depletion (18.5 %), and obstructive uropathy (16.6 %). Uremic encephalopathy, infection, malignancy, and a low initial Glasgow Coma Scale significantly contributed to unfavorable outcomes. The presence of nephrotoxic antibiotics, infection, and hyponatremia significantly contributed to the admission rate to the wards and intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, infection is the dominant cause and mortality predictor of AKI. The majority of patients with infections were sepsis (78.1 %), pyelonephritis (11.4 %), and pneumonia (10.3 %). Early initiation of antibiotics in the Emergency Department contributes to improved outcomes.