Pathophysiology of AKI

Publication date: September 2017Source: Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology, Volume 31, Issue 3Author(s): Marlies Ostermann, Kathleen LiuAcute kidney injury (AKI) is common in the perioperative and intensive care setting. Although AKI is usually multifactorial, haemodynamic instability, sepsis and drug toxicity are commonly implicated. Independent of the exact aetiology, several different pathophysiologic processes occur simultaneously and in sequence, including endothelial dysfunction, alteration of the microcirculation, tubular injury, venous congestion and intrarenal inflammation. A multitude of different immune cells from within the kidney and the systemic circulation play a role in the development, maintenance and recovery phase of AKI.In this review, we describe the common processes involved in AKI and their connections, with particular emphasis on the perioperative and critical care setting.
Source: Best Practice and Research Clinical Anaesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research