A European Renal Best Practice (ERBP) position statement on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guidelines on Acute Kidney Injury: Part 1: definitions, conservative management and contrast-induced nephropathy

The broad clinical syndrome of acute kidney injury (AKI) encompasses various aetiologies, including specific kidney diseases (e.g. acute interstitial nephritis), non-specific conditions (e.g. renal ischaemia) as well as extrarenal pathology (e.g. post-renal obstruction). AKI is a serious condition that affects kidney structure and function acutely, but also in the long term. Recent epidemiological evidence supports the notion that even mild, reversible AKI conveys the risk of persistent tissue damage, and severe AKI can be accompanied by an irreversible decline of kidney function and progression to end-stage kidney failure [1–3]. The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for AKI [4] were designed to systematically compile information on this topic by experts in the field. These guidelines are based on the systematic review of relevant trials published before February 2011. Nevertheless, for many sections of the guidelines, appropriate supporting evidence is lacking in the literature. As a consequence, variations in practice will inevitably occur when clinicians take into account the needs of individual patients, available resources and limitations unique to a region, an institution or type of practice. Therefore, in line with its philosophy [5], the European Renal Best Practice (ERBP) wanted to issue a position statement on these guidelines. A working group was established to produce guidance from the European nephrology perspective, based on the compiled evidence as presented, with an update of the literature up to March 2012, following the methodology as explained in the ERBP instructions to authors [6]. The present document will deal with the diagnosis and prevention of AKI, and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) (Sections 1–4 of the KDIGO document), and other chapters will be discussed in a separate position statement. As a general rule, we will only mention those guideline statements of the KDIGO document that we have amended, even when the change is small. If a KDIGO recommendation is not repeated, it can be considered as endorsed by ERBP as is, unless specifically stated otherwise.