ASSOCIATION OF AKI WITH UTI AND ITS PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most frequent types of bacterial infections. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is also commonly experienced by hospitalized patients. There is a critical connection between UTIs and AKI. To determine the association of AKI with UTI, and its prognostic significance with the risk factors for developing AKI in hospitalized patients with UTI.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study conducted at Isra University Hospital from March 2025 to August 2025. Patients aged >18 years, admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of UTI and diagnosed with AKI during hospitalization were included in the study. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS. Continuous variables were demonstrated as mean ± standard deviation (SD), while, categorical variables were shown as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test and Independent t-test was used to determine associations between categorical variables vs AKI and between continuous variables vs. AKI, respectively.

Results: The total participants included in the study were 270. The mean age of the participants was 51 ± 20.01 years. Among them, 125 (46.3%) participants were male while, 145 (53.7%) were female. AKI was diagnosed in 100 (37%) of the patients who completed the study. Patients who developed AKI experienced higher average serum creatinine levels (1.87 ± 0.48) and serum urea concentrations (55.18 ± 13.90) compared to participants who did not develop AKI (p < 0.001). Compared to patients without AKI, patients with AKI had significantly longer lengths of hospital stays (13.83 ± 3.79 days vs. 8.11 ± 3.19 days, p < 0.001). Diabetes was more prevalent in AKI patients (60%) compared to non-diabetic patients (28.2%) and was significantly associated with AKI (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The occurrence of AKI was associated with a variety of clinical outcomes such as longer hospital stays, greater chance of admission to ICU, and increased mortality. Certain comorbid conditions, especially diabetes, hypertension, and sepsis were recognized as significant contributors to AKI among hospitalized patients with UTI.