Can Multi-organ Sonographic Parameters Predict Mortality in Patients With Acute Kidney Injury?

Objective: This study aimed to investigate sonographic parameters that could predict 1-month mortality in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Materials and Methods: This study was a post-hoc analysis of multi-organ sonographic examinations conducted between August 2020 and July 2021. Adult patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with AKI were recruited. Multi-organ (lung, cardiac, inferior vena cava, kidney, and bladder) sonographic examinations were performed by emergency physicians and evaluated by a radiologist, cardiologist, and another emergency physician, while being anonymized to the results. Results: There were 165 patients with AKI enrolled in the study, and 40 (24.2%) of them experienced 1-month mortality. Following univariate analyses of 23 sonographic parameters, multivariate regression analysis revealed that diffuse ascites (odds ratio [OR], 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27–10.61) and left ventricular basal diameter (OR, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87–0.99) were related with 1-month mortality in patients with AKI. Conclusion: In this cohort of AKI patients, the most powerful sonographic parameter, as a predictor of 1-month mortality, was diffuse ascites. Further clinical studies are needed to validate and refine these diagnostic findings.