Brain Hemorrhage Increases the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury

Patients who suffer from intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) during their hospitalization, reports a new study.

Patients who suffer from brain hemorrhage have an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) during their hospitalization, reveals a new study. AKI can lead to sudden kidney damage, kidney failure, or even death. Researchers have determined which intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients are at the highest risk for this kidney injury so physicians can take precautions to prevent it. They also studied how the commonly-used blood pressure-lowering medicine nicardipine contributes to AKI. The findings of the study are published in the journal Stroke.

"Over the past 5 years, clinicians have been bothered about AKI as they see patients who present with brain injury, later develop kidney failure and need dialysis," stated lead researcher Adnan I. Qureshi. "What we require is a more global body method to improve patients' outcome with ICH, rather than just concentrating on the brain."

Acute Renal (Kidney) Failure- Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications
Acute renal failure is the sudden cessation of the functioning of kidneys, that can be due to reduced renal blood flow, damage to renal tissues.

‘Acute kidney injury is linked to a higher rate of death within three months of a brain hemorrhage. ’

Qureshi's team identified data from a multicenter trial in which 1,000 brain injury patients with systolic blood pressure more than 180 to either standard (140-179 mm Hg) blood pressure reduction or intensive (110-139 mm Hg) reduction within 4.5 hours after symptoms began. Researchers identified kidney injury by taking creatinine blood samples, which determine how well the kidneys are functioning from each patient for three days.

They found 15 percent of all patients developed AKI, higher doses of nicardipine were associated with an increased risk for acute kidney injury, and a higher baseline serum creatinine level was linked to a greater risk for acute kidney injury. In addition, those with acute kidney injury were nearly 3 times more likely to die within three months of diagnosis.

"Even the first set of labs appear to have predictive value in who will develop acute kidney injury, and I think this study highlights the values doctors can use actually to determine who may be at risk," Qureshi stated.

Drug-Induced Kidney Disease | Nephrotoxicity
Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is caused by nephrotoxic drugs or toxins which damage kidneys and can lead to nephritis or renal toxicity. The causative drug must be identified and its use must be avoided which can otherwise lead to high levels of toxins and severe damage to kidneys.

Qureshi believes the next step in preventing kidney injury after brain injury is to use serum creatinine and other markers to recognize high-risk patients, then use proactive steps to carefully manage intravenous fluids and avoid prescriptions that are more likely to cause or worsen AKI.

Source-Medindia

Head Injury | Brain Injury Overview Types Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment
Head injury or traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability among children and young adults that leads to varying degrees of physical and mental stability. Fortunately, it is also one of the preventable brain disorder.

Nanotechnology Helps Treat Acute Kidney Injury
A novel nanotechnology approach has been used to create nanostructures that can help prevent and treat acute kidney injury (AKI), which is a serious medical disorder that exhibits high mortality rates.