Use of NGAL for Fluid Dosing and CRRT Initiation in Pediatric and Neonatal AKI

This study will follow patients admitted to the PICU with sepsis, NICU with sepsis or after abdominal surgery, or CICU who are identified as being at risk for developing acute kidney injury. The investigators will use risk-stratification, biomarker testing, and a functional assessment to predict children and neonates who will become fluid overloaded and develop severe acute kidney injury.

In the pediatric population, acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly observed in critically ill patients. At this time, there are no standardized care pathways that begin at identifying patients at risk for developing AKI and progress through to early recognition and treatment. Through previous work, the investigators have integrated a risk-stratification tool (renal angina index or RAI) and a urine biomarker (NGAL) to try to identify PICU patients at risk versus not at-risk for developing AKI. Through this study, the investigators will tailor the RAI to the septic population in the PICU, create a new NICU RAI, and investigate the utility of the CICU specific RAI in a prospective population. Biomarker testing will be used to further risk-stratify those patients deemed at highest risk through the RAI.