Perioperative acute kidney injury: Current knowledge and the role of anaesthesiologists

Background Among the different types of perioperative organ injury, acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently and is consistently associated with increased rates of mortality and mortality. Despite development of many clinical trials to assess perioperative interventions, reliable means to prevent or reverse AKI are still lacking. Objectives This narrative review discusses recent literature on modifiable risk factors, current approaches to prevention and potential directions for future research. Methods A Pubmed search with the relevant keywords was done for articles published in the last 10 years. Results New insights into preoperative identification and optimisation, intraoperative strategies, including the choice of anaesthetic, haemodynamic and fluid management, have been made, with the aim of preventing perioperative AKI. Conclusion A patient-centric multidisciplinary approach is essential to protect kidney function of patients going for surgery. Much can be done by anaesthesiologists perioperatively, to reduce the risk of development of AKI, especially in susceptible patients. There is a need for further multicentred trials to enhance the currently generic perioperative recommendations.