Predictors of Acute Kidney Disease Severity in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney disease (AKD) forms part of the continuum of acute kidney injury (AKI) and worsens clinical outcomes. Currently, the predictors of AKD severity have yet to be established. We conducted a retrospective investigation involving 310 hospitalized patients with AKI and stratified them based on the AKD stages defined by the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative criteria. Demographic, clinical, hematologic, and biochemical profiles, as well as 30-day outcomes, were compared between subgroups. In the analysis, the use of offending drugs (odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI), AKD stage 3 vs. non-AKD, 3.132 (1.304–7.526), p = 0.011, AKD stage 2 vs. non-AKD, 2.314 (1.049–5.107), p = 0.038), high AKI severity (OR (95% CI), AKD stage 3 vs. non-AKD, 6.214 (2.658–14.526), p < 0.001), and early dialysis requirement (OR (95% CI), AKD stage 3 vs. non-AKD, 3.366 (1.008–11.242), p = 0.049) were identified as independent predictors of AKD severity. Moreover, a higher AKD severity was associated with higher 30-day mortality and lower dialysis-independent survival rates. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that offending drug use, AKI severity, and early dialysis requirement were independent predictors of AKD severity, and high AKD severity had negative impact on post-AKI outcomes.