How acute kidney injury is investigated and managed in UK intensive care units--a survey of current practice

Optimal management of acute kidney injury (AKI) remains controversial, particularly with respect to acutely unwell patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This is likely to be attributable to the currently poor evidence base. Attempts to introduce guidance and consistency have been made over recent years, such as the AKI Network (AKIN) staging system and, in the UK, recommendations from the 2009 National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report into AKI. We wished to ascertain how AKI is investigated and managed in intensive care units in the UK, and whether these recent initiatives have made any difference to clinical practice.