Body Mass Index as a Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

• Main Authors: Sunmi Ju, M.D., Tae Won Lee, M.D., Jung-Wan Yoo, M.D., Seung Jun Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Yu Ji Cho, M.D., Ph.D., Yi Yeong Jeong, M.D., Ph.D., Jong Deog Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Ju-young Kim, M.D., Gi Dong Lee, M.D., Ho Cheol Kim, M.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2018-10-01
• Series: Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• Subjects: body mass index; acute kidney injury; intensive care unit
• Online Access: https://e-trd.org/search.php?where=aview&id=10.4046/trd.2017.0081&code=0003TRD&vmode=FULL

Background The aim of this study was to examine the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods Data of patients admitted to medical ICU from December 2011 to May 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into three groups according to their BMI: underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), and overweight (≥25 kg/m2). The incidence of AKI was compared among these groups and factors associated with the development of AKI were analyzed. AKI was defined according to the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, and End-stage (RIFLE) kidney disease criteria. Results A total of 468 patients were analyzed. Their mean BMI was 21.5±3.9 kg/m2, including 102 (21.8%) underweight, 286 (61.1%) normal-weight, and 80 (17.1%) overweight patients. Overall, AKI occurred in 82 (17.5%) patients. The overweight group had significantly (p<0.001) higher incidence of AKI (36.3%) than the underweight (9.8%) or normal group (15.0%). In addition, BMI was significantly higher in patients with AKI than that in those without AKI (23.4±4.2 vs. 21.1±3.7, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that BMI was significantly associated with the development of AKI (odds ratio, 1.893; 95% confidence interval, 1.224–2.927). Conclusion BMI may be associated with the development of AKI in critically ill patients.