Practice of Extracorporeal Therapies for Septic Acute Kidney Injury Patients in Intensive Care Units in Mainland China

Abstract

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and other extracorporeal therapies for acute kidney injury (AKI) and other organ dysfunction syndromes in critically ill patients are common in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many studies have focused on clinical practice for managing these conditions. However, there are few studies that describe the utilization of extracorporeal therapies, especially CRRT, in patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Summary: Two hundred ICU physicians were included in a survey from February 28, 2017, to March 20, 2017, on the current status of septic AKI and clinical practice in CRRT. According to the responses, 40% of sepsis patients in the ICU had AKI, and 25% required extracorporeal therapies. However, 29% of candidates gave up therapy for medical or nonmedical reasons. Overall survival for sepsis was 60%; among survivors, 80% were dialysis free at discharge. CRRT was the most common modality of extracorporeal therapy in the ICU, and 82% of physicians chose convection as the major clearance mode. The survey showed 30% of physicians saw the removal of inflammatory mediators as the major objective of extracorporeal therapies; however, only 18.5% of physicians considered inflammation as a measure to trigger CRRT. The median treatment duration of CRRT in China was 12 h per day for 5 days. Key Messages: There were some similarities and differences in CRRT practice for septic AKI patients in China and globally. The differences reveal some insights into improving the outcomes of these patients.