Highlights
Washington, DC (May 14, 2015) -- A new study indicates that severe kidney injury is rare during pregnancy, but it typically occurs in otherwise healthy women who acquire a major pregnancy-related complication. The study, which will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology ( JASN ), also reveals the health outcomes of mothers and their babies following severe kidney injury during pregnancy.
Acute kidney injury (AKI), an abrupt or rapid decline in kidney function, is a rare but serious complication of pregnancy. Although previously considered a disappearing entity, the incidence and outcomes of AKI during pregnancy may be adversely impacted as increasing numbers of pregnancies are occurring in women who are older, have conditions such as diabetes or chronic kidney disease, or use reproductive technologies.
To determine the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of women with AKI who require treatment with dialysis during pregnancy and the postpartum period, Ainslie Hildebrand, MD (Western University's London Health Sciences Centre, in Canada) and her colleagues analyzed information on all pregnancies from 1997 to 2011 in Ontario.
Among the major findings:
"This is the first population-based assessment of severe pregnancy-related AKI in a developed nation," said Dr. Hildebrand. "Fortunately, with ongoing improvements in obstetrical care, maternal and perinatal mortality in this setting are largely avoidable."
###
Study co-authors include Kuan Liu, MMath, Salimah Shariff, PhD, Joel Ray, MD, MSc, Jessica Sontrop, PhD, William Clark, MD, Michelle Hladunewich, MD, MSc, and Amit Garg, MD PhD.
Disclosures: This work was conducted at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Western Site, which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and an operating grant from the Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario. This project was conducted with members of the provincial ICES Kidney, Dialysis and Transplantation Research Program, which receives programmatic grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Hildebrand was supported by the Clinical Investigator Program at Western University. Dr. Garg was supported by the Dr. Adam Linton Chair in Kidney Health Analytics. The authors declare no support from any organization for the submitted work, no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years, and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
The article, entitled "Characteristics and Outcomes of AKI Treated with Dialysis during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period," will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/ on May 14, 2015.
The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.
Founded in 1966, and with more than 15,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology