Increase in hospital-acquired acute kidney injury worries veterinary medicine

The International Renal Interest Society provides consensus guidelines for best practices for the diagnosis and management of this disease in cats and dogs.

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A recent scientific study has revealed a worrying increase in the incidence of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury in veterinary patients. It is defined as injury to the renal parenchyma, with or without decreased renal function, as reflected by accumulation of uremic toxins or altered urine output (ie, increased or decreased). This type of injury can be caused by a variety of factors, including ischemia, inflammation, nephrotoxins, and infectious diseases.

Previously, hospital-acquired acute kidney injury was not considered a common cause in animals; However, recent evidence suggests that its practice is increasing in veterinary medicine. This is probably due to a combination of increased recognition and awareness, intensification of treatment in some veterinary patients (e.g. ventilation and prolonged hospitalization) and increased management of older veterinary patients with multiple comorbidities.

This finding underlines the importance of its appropriate monitoring and treatment in veterinary patients, as well as the need for further research to fully understand the underlying factors and develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.

The International Renal Interest Society provides consensus guidelines for best practices for the diagnosis and management of this disease in cats and dogs. This is the first guideline document to review the diagnosis and medical management of dogs and cats with acute kidney injury. Although there has been a steady expansion of knowledge in this field in recent years, much of the evidence base used in veterinary medicine is derived from human and experimental data. The creation of voting statements and consensus has been led by leading international experts in the field of veterinary nephrology.

Segev G, Cortellini S, Foster JD, Franci T, Langston C, Londoño L, Schweighhauser A, Jepson RE. International Renal Interest Society best practice consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute kidney injury in cats and dogs. Veterinarian J. 2024 Feb 5:106068. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106068. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38325516.