Preoperative Albumin Level is Not Associated with Acute Kidney Injury After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate whether the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) was associated with preoperative albumin/prealbumin levels and other clinical features in pediatric patients who underwent open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease.

Patients and Methods: In this retrospective cohort, patients aged between 1-60 months who underwent openheart surgery (complete correction surgery) with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease at the Kartal Kosuyolu High Specialization Training and Research Hospital, between January 1, 2018-December 31, 2020, were retrospectively included (n= 100). Patient demographics, diagnoses, surgical characteristics, and laboratory findings were recorded and analyzed.

Results: Mean age was 13.63 ± 12.05 (range 1.5-60) months. eGFR was decreased by more than 50% in 13% of the cases. Compared to the preoperative period, it was found that urea (24th and 48th hour) and creatinine levels increased significantly (p< 0.001, for each), and eGFR decreased significantly in the postoperative period (p< 0.001). Linear regression for eGFR value revealed that longer aortic cross-clamp time (ACCT) was associated with a greater decrease in eGFR (p= 0.046). Other variables included in the model, age (p= 0.128), gender (p= 0.358), RACHS (p= 0.865), body mass index (p= 0.862), prealbumin (p= 0.313), albumin (p= 0.806) and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (p= 0.921) were found to be non-significant.

Conclusion: While there was no relationship between eGFR and preoperative albumin/prealbumin levels in patients who underwent cardiac surgery due to congenital heart disease, longer ACCT was found to be associated with decreased eGFR.

This study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethical Committee of Kartal Koşuyolu High Specialization Training and Research Hospital (Decision no: 2021/7/498, Date: 13.07.2021).

Informed consent was obtained.

Externally peer-reviewed.

Concept/Design - FI, NÇ; Analysis/Interpretation - FI, UU; Data Collection - YY, FI; Writing - FI; Critical Revision - ÖŞ; Statistical Analysis - ÖŞ, NÇ; Overall Responsibility - FI; Final Approval - All of authors.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.