Acute Kidney Injury in Term Babies with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in term neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), to identify the probable risk factors, and to find its relation to mortality.

METHODS: The study recruited 758 term neonates admitted to the neonatal ICU (NICU). Diagnosis of PPHN was established on the basis of clinical and echocardiographic criteria. For diagnosis of AKI, we adopted the modified Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI definition. This definition has three grades of AKI severity depending on degree of serum creatinine rise and urinary output. Patients were followed until they died or discharged from NICU.

RESULTS: Among the 758 term neonates included in the study, there were 47 babies (6.2 %) fulfilling the criteria of PPHN. AKI was reported in 16 patients (34.0 %) and the reported mortality rate was 31.9 %. Neonates with AKI had significantly higher mortality rate when compared with patients without AKI (75.0 % versus 9.7 %; p = 0.0001). A significant association was noted between severe grades of PPHN and AKI.

CONCLUSIONS: AKI is prevalent in neonates with PPHN. It is significantly associated with mortality. There is suggested link between AKI and severity of PPHN.