Relation of Mechanical Ventilation to Acute Kidney Injury in Myocardial Infarction Patients

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious complication in critically ill patients, particularly those with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Mechanical ventilation (MV) is often needed when respiratory deterioration occurs and is continuously associated with higher risk for AKI. Whether MV is an independent predictor for AKI in STEMI patients has not been evaluated before. We aimed to determine a potential association between MV and the occurrence of AKI in STEMI patients. Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort in a tertiary referral hospital. We evaluated consecutive patients that were admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit with acute STEMI between 2008 and 2019. Patients were divided into groups based on their need for MV upon admission. To minimize baseline differences between the two groups, propensity matching was performed. The primary outcome was the occurrence of AKI after intubation and secondary outcomes included severe AKI (>2 times the baseline creatinine) and renal recovery. Results: 2,929 patients were included and of them, 143 (5%) were intubated. After using the propensity matching, 138 pairs were available for analysis with similar demographic and clinical characteristics. MV was a predictor for AKI (Table 2, odds ratio [OR]: 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.9–5.6) and severe AKI (OR: 6.3, 95% CI: 2.5–16). These results remained significant after adjusting for the occurrence of a new heart failure and bleeding. Early or partial renal recovery was similar between the groups. Conclusion: MV is independently associated with the occurrence of AKI and severe AKI. The possible mechanism might be temporary, reflected by similar rates of renal recovery.