| Summary: | The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is high in the elderly, who comprise an ever-growing segment of the population. Elderly patients pose a different set of diagnostic and therapeutic challenge owing to their associated comorbidities. AKI in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of mortality, morbidity, prolonged length of stay, and progression to chronic kidney disease. Data regarding the clinical profile of AKI in the elderly from the South Indian population are limited. Hence, we present this analysis of the etiological and prognostic factors associated with AKI in elderly population from South India. This is a cross-sectional, prospective, observational study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital from Bengaluru, during the period from May 2011 to October 2012. Institutional Ethical Committee clearance was obtained. Informed consents were obtained from patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Elderly patients >60 years of age with features of AKI (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End-stage criteria) 1 at admission and those who developed AKI following hospital admission were included in the study. Demographic details, detailed medical history, comorbid conditions, etiological factors, prognostic factors, and outcomes were collected. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Two hundred patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were enrolled into the study. The mean age was 70.5 years. Fifty-nine percent were males and 41% were females. Peak incidence of AKI was in the age group 60–69 years. Diabetes was seen in 44%, hypertension in 35%, ischemic heart disease in 19%, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 12% of cases. Ninety-one percent had AKI at admission, and the rest developed it during hospitalization. The average duration of hospital stay was seven days. Etiological factors for AKI were medical in 87% of the cases, surgical in 11%, and gynecological in 2%. Sepsis was the most common etiology of AKI among the medical cases. Among sepsis, pneumonia and urosepsis were the most common causes of AKI. Medical AKI had a better outcome compared to surgical causes of AKI. Fifty-six (28%) patients required dialysis. Forty-four patients received hemodialysis and 12 received peritoneal dialysis. The overall mortality in the study group was 15%. Mortality among oliguric AKI (25%) was higher than in nonoliguric AKI (5%) patients (P = 0.002). The mortality rate was higher among postsurgical AKI compared to the medical causes (P <0.001) and in patients who required dialysis. Sepsis is the most common cause of AKI in elderly with high morbidity and mortality. Oliguria, postsurgical AKI, and need for dialysis were independent predictors of mortality.
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