Acute kidney injury after liver transplantation, perioperative risk factors, and outcome: prospective observational study of 1681 patients (OLTx Study)

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a frequent complication after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study aimed to evaluate early postoperative AKI incidence during the first 72 h after OLT, perioperative risk factors, and AKI impact on survival. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2013, 1681 patients underwent OLT in 19 centers and were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. RESULTS: According to RIFLE criteria, AKI occurred in 367 patients, 21.8% (R: 5.8%, I: 6.4%, F: 4.8%, L: 4.8%). Based on multivariate analysis, intraoperative risk factors for AKI were: administration of 5-10 RBCs (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.7), dopamine use (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.3), post-reperfusion syndrome (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.3), surgical complications (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.0), and cardiological complications (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2-4.0). Postoperative risk factors were: norepinephrine (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.0), furosemide (OR 4.2, 95% CI 3.0-5.9), more than 10 RBCs transfusion, (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.4-10.5), platelets administration (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.4), fibrinogen administration (OR 3.0, 95% CI, 1.5-6.2), hepatic complications (OR 4.6, 95% CI 2.9-7.5), neurological complications (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.5-3.7), and infectious complications (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8-4.3). NO-AKI patients' 5-year survival rate was higher than AKI patients (68.06, 95% CI 62.7-72.7 and 81.2, 95% CI 78.9-83.3, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AKI still remains an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality after OLT. Further research to develop new strategies aimed at preventing or minimizing post-OLT AKI is needed.