Video

Some Doctors Prescribe Antibiotics Because Parents Want Them

What Kids Wear Could Determine How Much Exercise They Get

Few College Students Have Received the H1N1 Vaccine

Night Lights Could Lead to Depression

Cervarix Has Been Approved by the FDA

The FDA Is Studying the Effects of Lasik Surgery

Painkillers Can Dull the Effects of Childhood Vaccines

Childbirth May Becoming More Complicated

Botox Sponges Might Help Nose Allergies

The FDA Advises on How to Properly Dispose of Medicine

A French Study Shows Cell Phones Do Not Affect Humans

MRIs May Lead to More Back Surgery

Your More Likely to Wash Your Hands If Someone's Watching

Co-Sleeping Is a Leading Cause of SIDS

Night Shifts Don't Have a Major Effect On Surgeons

Kidney Injury While Hospitalized May Lead to Future Dialysis

Posted on 09/15/2009, 16:00
By -- Randy Dotinga

An estimated 45% to 70% of these patients die before discharge, study finds

TUESDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients who encounter serious kidney problems while hospitalized, those who require dialysis are not at increased risk of dying if they are able to recover and leave, but they are more likely to need dialysis on a regular basis in the future, researchers say.

According to the authors of a new study published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, kidney injuries are common among adults who receive care in hospitals. In many cases, these patients require dialysis, and an estimated 45 percent to 70 percent die while in the hospital.

But little research has been done to find out about what happens to patients if they survive and are able to leave the hospital, the study authors noted.

Ron Wald, of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues looked at patients in Ontario, Canada, who experienced a kidney injury while hospitalized and required dialysis but survived and didn't need dialysis for at least a month.

After three years, the researchers "found that survivors of a hospitalization complicated by acute kidney injury requiring dialysis were approximately three times more likely to require chronic dialysis compared with those without acute kidney injury. However, no difference was observed between these groups for long-term mortality."

In an accompanying commentary, two doctors stressed that kidney disease shouldn't be neglected. "Given the extraordinarily high rates of morbidity and mortality observed in chronic kidney disease patients and acute kidney injury patients, the complex interconnection between them, and increasing incidence of both, kidney disease prevention and treatment should be a major public health priority."

More information

Learn more about kidney disease from the National Kidney Foundation.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, news release, Sept. 15, 2009

More news in Kidney Health...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.

Rating: 3.3 / 5 (144 votes)