Hospital readmission for acute kidney injury is independently associated with de novo end-stage renal disease after liver transplantation

Abstract

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) after liver transplantation (LT) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The consequences of hospitalizations for post-LT acute kidney injury (AKI) are poorly understood. Using linked Medicare claims and transplant registry data, we analyzed adult liver alone recipients not receiving pretransplant dialysis between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2016. Covariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models stratified by center evaluated factors associated with AKI readmission during the first post-LT year, and whether AKI readmission was associated with de novo early (<1 y) or late (≥1 y) ESRD post-LT. The cohort included 10,559 patients and was 64.5% male, 72.5% White, 8.1% Black, and 14.0% Hispanic with median age 62 years. Overall, 2875 (27.2%) patients had ≥1 AKI hospitalization during the first year. Estimated glomerular filtration rate at LT was associated with AKI readmission (adjusted HR: 1.16 per 10 mL/min/1.73m 2 decrease; p <0.001). The adjusted HR for early ESRD in patients with ≥1 AKI readmission <90 days post-LT was 1.90 ( p <0.001). The adjusted HRs for late ESRD with 1 and ≥2 prior AKI readmissions were 1.57 and 2.80, respectively ( p <0.001). AKI readmissions in the first post-LT year impact over one-quarter of recipients. These increase the risk of subsequent ESRD, but may represent an opportunity to intervene and mitigate further renal dysfunction.