Distant organ dysfunction in acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in critically ill patients and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological and clinical data show that AKI is linked to a wide range of distant organ injuries, with the lungs, heart, liver, and intestines representing the most clinically relevant affected organs. This distant organ injury during AKI predisposes patients to progression to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and ultimately, death. The strongest direct evidence of distant organ injury occurring in AKI has been obtained from animal models. The identified mechanisms include systemic inflammatory changes, oxidative stress, increases in leucocyte trafficking and the activation of proapoptotic pathways. Understanding the pathways driving AKI‐induced distal organ injury are critical for the development and refinement of therapies for the prevention and attenuation of AKI‐related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to summarize both clinical and preclinical studies of AKI and its role in distant organ injury.