UCLA

Introduction

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used for the symptomatic management of acute kidney injury (AKI) and fluid overload (FO). Contemporary reports on pediatric CRRT are small and single center in design. Large international studies evaluating CRRT practice and outcomes are lacking. Herein, we describe the design of a multinational collaborative.

Methods

The Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Disease (WE-ROCK) is an international collaborative of pediatric specialists whose mission is to improve short- and long-term outcomes of children treated with CRRT. The aims of this multicenter retrospective study are to describe the epidemiology, liberation patterns, association of fluid balance and timing of CRRT initiation, and CRRT prescription with outcomes.

Results

We included children (n = 996, 0-25 years) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and treated with CRRT for AKI or FO at 32 centers (in 7 countries) from 2018 to 2021. Demographics and clinical characteristics before CRRT initiation, during the first 7 days of both CRRT, and liberation were collected. Outcomes include the following: (i) major adverse kidney events at 90 days (mortality, dialysis dependence, and persistent kidney dysfunction), and (ii) functional outcomes (functional stats scale).

Conclusion

The retrospective WE-ROCK study represents the largest international registry of children receiving CRRT for AKI or FO. It will serve as a broad and invaluable resource for the field of pediatric critical care nephrology that will improve our understanding of practice heterogeneity and the association of CRRT with clinical and patient-centered outcomes. This will generate preliminary data for future interventional trials in this area.