Objective: To assess the incidence and prognostic value of acute renal function deterioration (ARFD) in patients with acute heart disease.
Setting: Coronary Care Unit in a tertiary university hospital.
Design: Retrospective study.
Participants: One hundred consecutive patients admitted during 2004.
Interventions: No randomized interventions were done. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were performed according to local protocols and current Clinical Practice Guidelines. PRIMARY VARIABLES: The primary aim of the study was to analyze the incidence of acute renal function deterioration and its effect in mortality during hospitalization. ARFD was defined as the increase of serum creatinine by 0.5 mg/dl and/or by 50% over baseline.
Results: Incidence of ARFD was 26%, with a mean increase of serum creatinine of 1.5 +/- 0.9 mg/dl. ARFD was significantly associated with age, background of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Patients with ARFD had a more complicated course, longer hospitalizations, and received fewer catheterisms. Acute renal function deterioration was associated with higher mortality during hospitalization (33% versus 6%, p = 0.002).
Conclusions: Acute renal function deterioration is frequent in patients with acute heart disease and its presence is linked with higher mortality.