Etiology of Pregnancy-related Acute Kidney Injury among Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (PRAKI) is an important cause of fetomaternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. We undertook a systematic review to identify the causes of PRAKI among obstetric patients in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar using appropriate search terminology between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021. Studies reporting the etiology of PRAKI among obstetric patients (pregnant and within 42 days postpartum) in India were included for evaluation. Studies done in any other geographical location besides India were excluded. We also excluded studies done in any one trimester or any specific subgroup of patients [e.g., postpartum acute kidney injury (AKI), postabortal AKI]. A five-point questionnaire was used to assess the risk of bias in included studies. The results were synthesized as per preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: A total number of 7 studies with 477 participants were included for analysis. All were single-center descriptive observational studies either done in tertiary care public or private hospitals. Sepsis (mean, 41.9%; median, 49.4%; and range, 6–56.1%) was the most common cause of PRAKI followed by hemorrhage (mean, 22.1%; median, 23.5%; and range, 8.3–38.5%) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (mean, 20.9%; median, 20.7; and range, 11.5–39%). Among these seven studies, five were of moderate quality, one was of high quality, and another one was of low quality. Our study is limited due to the lack of consensus definition of PRAKI in literature and heterogeneity in reporting methods. Our study highlights the need for a structured reporting format for PRAKI to understand the true disease burden and take control measures. CONCLUSION: There is a moderate quality of evidence to suggest that sepsis followed by hemorrhage and pregnancy-induced hypertension are the commonest causes of PRAKI in India. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Gautam M, Saxena S, Saran S, Ahmed A, Pandey A, Mishra P, et al. Etiology of Pregnancy-related Acute Kidney Injury among Obstetric Patients in India: A Systematic Review. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(10):1141–1151.