Acute Kidney Injury: Definitions and New Paradigms

Changes in terminology and new consensus definitions of acute kidney injury (AKI) and stages of severity have simplified some of the problems in the clinical approach to this complex syndrome. Nevertheless, new proactive approaches to the diagnosis of kidney injury instead of kidney failure are required to allow clinical translation of successful therapies developed for experimental AKI. The recent development of novel urinary and plasma biomarkers, which predict kidney failure, has allowed the development of new paradigms for detection, prevention, and stage-specific treatment.