Prevalence of Acute Kidney Injury and associated factors among Patients Admitted to the Medical Ward of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the acute decrease in kidney function usually within hours due to damage to the structure or functional capability. There is a clear lack of data in the prevalence of AKI in Sub Saharan African countries. This holds true in Ethiopia also. Most of the studies done are in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and there is especially data lacking in the prevalence of AKI in patients admitted to the medical ward and their outcome. Furthermore the importance of this study is amplified as it is conducted in a setting were the services for treatment of kidney disease is the most optimal in the country. Objective: To assess the prevalence of AKI and associated factors among patients admitted to the medical ward of St. Paul’s Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia from July 2019 to December 2021. Methodology: A retrospective chart review study was conducted among a total of 341 systematically selected patients admitted to the medical ward from July 2019 to December 2021. Data was collected from patient’s chart using a structured data collection tool the data was analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Descriptive statistics was computed and presented with frequency tables and measures of central tendency. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between the independent variables and the outcome variable. Those variables with P < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval were considered as statistically significant. Result: The overall prevalence of AKI was 36.4%. Factors that affected the prevalence of AKI were hypertension (AOR=1.903, 95% CI 1.019, 3.554) sepsis (AOR=2.672 95% CI 1.207, 5.915) diuretics use (AOR= 4.755 95% CI 2.730, 8.284) hemoglobin (AOR=2.413 95% CI 1.346, 4.328) and potassium (AOR= 2.030 95% CI 1.117, 3.688). Conclusion & Recommendation: Prevalence of AKI was high among patients admitted the medical ward of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College as compared to other studies done in Ethiopia and elsewhere. The study showed that hypertension, sepsis, diuretics, hemoglobin and potassium value derangements were significantly associated with AKI. This study contributes to the better characterization of AKI and its risk factors in non-critical, medical ward admitted patients. Clinicians should be vigilant to identify patients with the above significant factors as these patients are at higher odds of having AKI. With a prevalence of AKI this high, there is a need for additional research aimed at further characterization of risk factors for AKI to better predict the risk of AKI. Key words: Acute Kidney Injury, St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia