Baseline Serum Creatinine in Cirrhosis and Risk for Acute Kidney Injury

At least 20% of patients admitted to the hospital with decompensated cirrhosis develop renal dysfunction. Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been associated with poor prognosis. Serum creatinine (SCr), associated with poor prognosis in this population, is important in the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. AKI in patients with cirrhosis is defined as an acute increase in SCr of ≥0.3 mg/dL in less than 48 hours or of >50% from a stable baseline value within 3 months.

This prospective study measured the impact of baseline SCr on outcomes of patients with cirrhosis who were admitted to tertiary care hospitals (633 patients; 416 male; mean age, 57 years; mean MELD, 18; 30% were admitted with or developed infection). Patients were categor…