Postoperative goal-directed therapy and development of acute kidney injury following major elective noncardiac surgery: post-hoc analysis of POM-O randomized controlled trial

Background: The role of goal-directed therapy (GDT) in preventing creatinine rise following noncardiac surgery is unclear. We performed a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial to assess the relationship between postoperative optimization of oxygen delivery and development of acute kidney injury (AKI)/creatinine rise following noncardiac surgery. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned immediately postoperatively to receive either fluid and/or dobutamine therapy to maintain/restore their preoperative oxygen delivery, or protocolized standard care (oxygen delivery only recorded). Primary end point was serial changes in postoperative creatinine within 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were development of AKI (KDIGO criteria) and minimal creatinine rise (MCR; no decline from preoperative creatinine), related to all-cause morbidity and length of stay. Results: Postoperative reductions in serum creatinine were similar (P = 0.76) in patients randomized to GDT [10 µmol/L (95% confidence interval, CI: 17 to −1); n = 95] or protocolized care [8 µmol/L (95% CI: 17 to −6); n = 92]. Postoperative haemodynamic management was not associated with the development of MCR [78/187 (41.7%)] or AKI [13/187; (7.0%)]. Intraoperative requirement for norepinephrine was more likely in patients who developed postoperative rises in creatinine [relative risk (RR): 1.66 (95% CI: 1.04–2.67); P = 0.04], despite similar volumes of intraoperative fluid being administered. Persistently higher lactate during the intervention period was associated with AKI (mean difference: 1.15 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.48–1.81); P = 0.01]. Prolonged hospital stay was associated with AKI but not MCR [RR: 2.71 (95% CI: 1.51–4.87); P = 0.0008]. Conclusion: These data provide further insights into how perioperative haemodynamic alterations relate to postoperative increases in creatinine once systemic inflammation is established.