Predictive factors for acute renal failure in crush injuries in the Sichuan earthquake

IntroductionThe Sichuan earthquake caused a large number of crush injuries and many of them developed acute renal failure (ARF). A retrospective study was performed on victims with crush injuries of West China Hospital to investigate the predictive factors for acute renal failure (ARF) in crush injuries.Patients and methodsMedical records of injured victims treated in West China Hospital within the first week after the Sichuan earthquake were retrospectively reviewed and 101 patients with crush injury were enrolled in the study. We divided them into an ARF group and a non-ARF group. The clinical data of included patients were extracted and analysed.ResultsPatients with ARF accounted for 42% of the included population. Patients younger than 20 made up the biggest age category (45%), and the entrapped time under the debris (22 [IQR 3.5–38] h) was longer than previous reports. In univariate analysis, male gender, multiple crush injuries, medical comorbidities, surgical interventions and infections were more frequent in patients with ARF than in those without ARF. Mean arterial pressure was higher in the ARF group. Besides, the risk of ARF was increased by creatine kinase >14,494.5 IU/L most significantly, followed by time under the rubble >4 h, aspartate transaminase >453.5 IU/L, albumin <27.15 g/L and white blood cell >11.8 × 109/L. In multivariate analysis, male gender, time under the rubble, multiple crush injuries, surgical interventions, infections and creatine kinase level were independently associated with ARF in crush injuries.ConclusionsThe entrapped time under the debris, multiple crush injuries, male gender, infections, and creatine kinase level are predictive factors for ARF in crush injuries.