AIHW finds drastic upsurge in acute kidney injury hospitalisations in Australia

Over the last decade, the hospitalisation rates for acute kidney injury have more than doubled that extends to affect some population groups more than others, said the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, or AIHW. The first Australian national report on acute kidney injury shows that older people and the Indigenous Australians are more likely to be suffering from the medical condition.

The new report shows that there were nearly 132,000 acute kidney injury hospitalisations in 2012 to 2013. Overall, the data represents 1.6 percent of the total number of all kinds of hospitalisations in the country.

Between 2000 to 2001 and 2012 to 2013, the number of hospitalisations has increased from 8,050 to 18,010 per year, the AIHW said. The report was released for the opening of the 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Nephrology in Canberra.

“When looking just at hospitalisations where acute kidney injury was the main reason for hospitalisation, we see a substantial increase in hospitalisations,” said AIHW spokesperson Sushma Mathur.

The acute kidney injury often results in prolonged hospitalisation, which may progress to severe kidney damage. The AIHW cautions that the condition, if not treated properly, can result in end-stage kidney disease and long-term dialysis, or death.

Experts said the condition occurs because of the abrupt loss of kidney function. The wide range of its risk factors includes advanced age, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease and pre-existing chronic kidney disease.

A patient suffering from acute kidney injury commonly stays in hospital about 5.6 days. But within the previous decade, the average length of stay became twice as long to an average of 11.4 days compared with the past record.

The AIHW warns that anyone can be affected by acute kidney injury, however, older people, those in remote areas, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged have higher hospitalisation or death rates due to acute kidney injury.

“For example, hospitalisation and death rates were at least twice as high among Indigenous Australians as other Australians, and acute kidney injury hospitalisation rates in the 85 and over age group were at least 4 times as high as in the 65-74 age group,” Mathur said.

With the growing number of affected people, the acute kidney injury remains as an under-recognised condition in Australia. The Institute suggests further research and monitoring to guide the improvement of preventive measures, assisting with clinical care and informing health policy and planning.

The AIHW noted that the study, as the first national report that highlights the emerging burden of acute kidney injury, may not provide a comprehensive picture of all cases of acute kidney injury in Australia.

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