Frequency of Exposure of Nephrotoxic Drugs and Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Review From a Tertiary Care Centre in Pakistan
Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common problems seen in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), with an overall 27% incidence. Besides many other factors, nephrotoxic medications (Nephrotoxins; Ntx) are also responsible for a large proportion of potentially avoidable pedi...
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Published in | Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 12; no. 12; p. e12183 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Cureus
20.12.2020
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common problems seen in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), with an overall 27% incidence. Besides many other factors, nephrotoxic medications (Nephrotoxins; Ntx) are also responsible for a large proportion of potentially avoidable pediatric AKI, directly accounting for 16% of AKI events. Objective To assess potential associations between nephrotoxic drugs and the risk of developing AKI in children admitted in PICU. Material and methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Children (aged 1 month - 18 years) admitted to the PICU, with a length of stay >24 hours, were included. AKI was defined as according to KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. Mild AKI was defined as a rise in creatinine value of 0.3 mg/dl from presenting value at a 24-hour interval. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of AKI. All medications administered in the ICU were assessed for nephrotoxicity through a review of adverse reactions mentioned in the Pediatric Dosage Handbook, along with consultation with a clinical pharmacist. Results Among 752 patients, the mean age was 4.8 years ± 4.37. There were 57.3% male and 42.7% female children. Among the exposed children, 37.4% received one drug, 32.4% received two drugs and 12.1% had high nephrotoxin exposure. The most commonly used drug was vancomycin (16.8%), as a single Ntx; vancomycin/colistin (12.9%), in dual nephrotoxic combination; and vancomycin/colistin/amphotericin (2.9%) in highly exposed children (i.e., with equal or more than three). Overall, the incidence of AKI was 14.9%. Conclusion Nephrotoxins are potentially avoidable risk factors in critically ill children. Whenever a combination of medications is required, it's advisable to review all medications for better protection of kidneys and preventing of acute kidney injury. |
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ISSN: | 2168-8184 2168-8184 |
DOI: | 10.7759/cureus.12183 |