OBJECTIVES: 

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) is associated with adverse outcomes. Single-center studies suggest that the prevalence of CS-AKI is high after the Norwood procedure, or stage 1 palliation (S1P), but multicenter data are lacking.

DESIGN: 

A secondary analysis of the Neonatal and Pediatric Heart and Renal Outcomes Network (NEPHRON) multicenter cohort who underwent S1P. Using neonatal modification of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, perioperative associations between CS-AKI with morbidity and mortality were examined. Sensitivity analysis, with the exclusion of prophylactic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, was performed.

SETTING: 

Twenty-two hospitals participating in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC⁴) and contributing to NEPHRON.

PATIENTS: 

Three hundred forty-seven neonates (< 30 d old) with S1P managed between September 2015 and January 2018.

INTERVENTIONS: 

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 

Of 347 patients, CS-AKI occurred in 231 (67%). The maximum stages were as follows: stage 1, in 141 of 347 (41%); stage 2, in 51 of 347 (15%); and stage 3, in 39 of 347 (11%). Severe CS-AKI (stages 2 and 3) peaked on the first postoperative day. In multivariable analysis, preoperative feeding was associated with lower odds of CS-AKI (odds ratio [OR] 0.48; 95% CI, 0.27–0.86), whereas prophylactic PD was associated with greater odds of severe CS-AKI (OR 3.67 [95% CI, 1.88–7.19]). We failed to identify an association between prophylactic PD and increased creatinine (OR 1.85 [95% CI, 0.82–4.14]) but cannot exclude the possibility of a four-fold increase in odds. Hospital mortality was 5.5% (n = 19). After adjusting for risk covariates and center effect, severe CS-AKI was associated with greater odds of hospital mortality (OR 3.67 [95% CI, 1.11–12.16]). We failed to find associations between severe CS-AKI and respiratory support or length of stay. The sensitivity analysis using PD failed to show associations between severe CS-AKI and outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: 

KDIGO-defined CS-AKI occurred frequently and early postoperatively in this 2015–2018 multicenter PC⁴/NEPHRON cohort of neonates after S1P. We failed to identify associations between resource utilization and CS-AKI, but there was an association between severe CS-AKI and greater odds of mortality in this high-risk cohort. Improving the precision for defining clinically relevant neonatal CS-AKI remains a priority.