ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HYPERURICEMIA AND ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS WITH SEPSIS

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the association between hyperuricemia and acute kidney injury in critically ill patients with sepsis.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study involved 60 patients and was carried out at the Department of Medicine, Nishtar Hospital in Multan between December 2024 and April 2025. The study included patients aged 20 to 65 years who were admitted with sepsis. The patients were categorized as exposed (hyperuricemia) and unexposed (no hyperuricemia). All the patients were managed for sepsis as per hospital protocol. Daily serum creatinine levels were measured for up to 7 days after admission to determine the occurrence of AKI.

Results:

The study participants had a mean age of 55.1 ± 6.4 years. There were 32 males (53.3%) and 28 females (46.7%). Regarding hyperuricemia, 17 participants (28.3%) had the condition while 43 (71.7%) did not. In the group with hyperuricemia (exposed group, n=17), 13 participants (76.5%) developed AKI, while 4 (23.5%) did not. In the non-exposed group (n=43), 16 participants (37.2%) developed AKI, and 27 (62.8%) did not. The relative risk (RR) of developing AKI in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group was 2.05 (1.28 to 3.28). This association was statistically significant (P = 0.003).

Conclusion:

Hyperuricemia significantly increases the risk of AKI in patients of sepsis. So serum uric acid can be used as a potential predictive marker to predict AKI in sepsis patients.