Abstract

BACKGROUND
Initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill septic shock patients with acute kidney injury is highly subjective and may influence outcome. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between initiation of RRT and 28 day mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock (SSSS).
METHODS
All patients diagnosed with SSSS and treated at the medical intensive care unit (ICU) in university-affiliated hospital from January 2005 to December 2006 were reviewed. Initiation of RRT was stratified into "early" and "late" by RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End-stage) criteria and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) at the time RRT began. The primary outcome was death after 28 days from any cause.
RESULTS
Of the 326 patients diagnosed with SSSS and admitted into the medical ICU during the study period, 78 patients received RRT. Mean age was 61.5 +/- 14.7 years old and 54 patients were male (69.2%). The initiation of RRT was categorized into early (Risk, and Injury) and late (Failure) by RIFLE criteria and also categorized into early (BUN < 75 mg/dl) and late (BUN > or = 75 mg/dl). When the relationship between RIFLE criteria and 28 day mortality was compared, no significant difference was shown (70.8% vs. 73.3%, p = 0.81). The initiation of RRT by BUN also showed no significant difference in 28 day mortality (77.3% vs. 69.6%, p = 0.50).
CONCLUSIONS
Initiation of RRT, stratified into "early" and "late" by RIFLE and BUN, showed no significant difference in 28 day mortality regarding patient with SSSS.

• Keywords: mortality;renal replacement therapy;sepsis;