Nephrology In-Reach Services Lead to Improvement in Mortality in Acute Kidney Injury – 3 (AKI-3)

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a sudden decline in kidney function. Early detection and prompt treatment of AKI is vital in improving the outcome of patients. We introduced in-reach nephrology services at South Tyneside District Hospital (STDH) as part of a reconfiguration of local NHS services. Aims: The principal aim of this study is to analyse patient outcomes relating to service developments and to explore prognostic characteristics among a cohort of AKI-3 patients Design: This was a single centre retrospective impact evaluation study.Methods: We studied all patients (n=246) who either presented with or developed AKI-3 during their admission at South Tyneside District Hospital from 2016 to 2018. The inclusion criteria included age 18-95 years and a diagnosis of AKI-3 as per KDIGO classification. Exclusion include those on established dialysis regime or on palliative care. Results: A total of 246 patients were admitted with AKI-3. There were 64 deaths from AKI-3 over the three-year period. Mortality decreased from 29.5% to 20.7% from 2016 to 2018. In patients with Community Acquired (CA-AKI3) the overall mortality rate was 24.2% (n=182), whereas the overall mortality rate of those with Hospital Acquired (HA-AKI3) was 31.3% (n=64). The pre-AKI use of ACEi, A2RB or diuretics increased from 39.7% in 2016 (n=78), to 59.3% in 2017 (n=86) and 64.6% in 2018 (n=82). Conversely, mortality associated with the use of these medications reduced each consecutive year (32.3%, 25.5%, 18.9%).Conclusion: Development of nephrology in-reach services, staff education measures and a primary care pathway could reduce AKI-3 mortality among patients in inpatient and community settings.