Background:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) detected after admission to coronary care unit (CCU) is associated with very poor outcomes. We prospectively investigated the prognostic value of a combination of AKI and high plasma D-dimer levels for 1-year mortality in patients hospitalized to CCUs.
Methods:
D-dimer, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were measured in 1228 patients on admission to CCUs, of whom 56% had decompensated heart failure and 38% had acute coronary syndrome. AKI was defined as an increase of >25% in creatinine from baseline or an absolute increase of ≥0.5 mg/dL within 48 h after admission. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and E/e’ ratio were estimated using echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging.
Results:
AKI was detected in 163 (13%) patients. During 1-year follow-up period, there were 149 (12%) deaths. The patients who died were older (median: 77 vs. 73 years; p < 0.0001) and exhibited higher D-dimer (2.7 vs. 1.3 μg/mL; p < 0.0001), NT-proBNP (5495 vs. 1525 pg/mL; p < 0.0001), and hsCRP levels (0.92 vs, 0.26 mg/L; p < 0.0001) and E/e’ ratio (15.0 vs. 13.2; p = 0.006). They also had a higher incidence of AKI (26% vs. 12%; p < 0.0001) and lower LVEF (39% vs. 49%; p < 0.0001) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (45 vs. 62 mL/min/1.73 m
2
; p < 0.0001) than patients who survived. Multivariate Cox regression analysis, including 12 clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic variables, identified AKI (relative risk: 1.79; p = 0.008) and increased D-dimer level (relative risk: 1.83 per 10-fold increment; p = 0.002) as independent predictors of 1-yeart mortality. The combined assessment of AKI and D-dimer quartiles was significantly associated with 1-year mortality rates (Figure).
Conclusions:
The combined assessment of AKI and high D-dimer levels may be useful for evaluating the risk of 1-year mortality in patients admitted to CCUs.
Incidence and mortality of acute kidney injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A retrospective study from a single coronary care unit
