Acute kidney injury in hospitalized pediatric patients

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is pervasive, affecting a significant proportion of critically ill and noncritically ill children. Recent data demonstrate a clear independent association of escalating AKI severity with not only mortality, but also with longer-term disability and chronic kidney disease in children. The paradigm has shifted—patients are no longer dying with AKI, but rather from AKI. In this review, AKI is described in the paradigms of “past,” “present,” and “future” to stimulate a reassessment of our understanding of this organ dysfunction syndrome. Current treatment strategies as well as novel methodologies are discussed. A global effort is required to make progress in the fight against AKI and improve patient outcomes.