Introduction:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a public health issue in developing countries, and is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality. This is the first attempt to describe the burden and outcomes of pregnancy-related AKI in this Sub-Saharan African country.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023 collating information among pregnant women admitted to a large tertiary health center, National Hospital, Zinder (with AKI. Demographics, clinical and basic laboratory information was collected. Data analyzed using simple descriptive statistics (proportions and percentages).
Results:
A total of 47 pregnant were included in the study, out of 344 hospitalized cases of AKI. The average age was 27 years. Majority of the patients were homemakers (N= 44, 93.62%). About 60% (N=34) of cases, patients came from rural/remote areas, notably from the Diffa and Zinder regions. Only 13% (N=6) had a pre-existing history of hypertension. About 60% (N=28) had more than one pregnancy (multiparous), and 64% (N=30) did not receive antenatal care before presentation. About one-third (N=17, 36%) had given birth at home. The average serum creatinine at presentation was >500umol/L in 81% of the patients (N=38), and 38.3% (N=18) of cases were anuric at presentation. Spontaneous recovery of kidney function was noticed in 34% (N=16) of patients. About 30% (N=14) had persistent impairment of kidney function at follow-up, meeting criteria for a CKD diagnosis. Thirty-four percent of patients died with AKI due to lack of a dialysis access. Of the survivors, about 68% (N=31) lost their babies.
Conclusions:
: Pregnancy-related AKI is highly common in Niger Republic. This is associated with adverse consequences of high mortality (among mothers & babies), and risk for development of CKD among those who survived. Concerted efforts are needed with the support of international stakeholder organizations towards the provision of optimal antenatal care as
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.