Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex disorder for which currently there is no accepted definition. Having a uniform standard for diagnosing and classifying AKI would enhance our ability to manage these patients. Future clinical and translational research in AKI will require collaborative networks of investigators drawn from various disciplines, dissemination of information via multidisciplinary joint conferences and publications, and improved translation of knowledge from pre-clinical research. We describe an initiative to develop uniform standards for defining and classifying AKI and to establish a forum for multidisciplinary interaction to improve care for patients with or at risk for AKI. Members representing key societies in critical care and nephrology along with additional experts in adult and pediatric AKI participated in a two day conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in September 2005 and were assigned to one of three workgroups. Each group's discussions formed the basis for draft recommendations that were later refined and improved during discussion with the larger group. Dissenting opinions were also noted. The final draft recommendations were circulated to all participants and subsequently agreed upon as the consensus recommendations for this report. Participating societies endorsed the recommendations and agreed to help disseminate the results. The term AKI is proposed to represent the entire spectrum of acute renal failure. Diagnostic criteria for AKI are proposed based on acute alterations in serum creatinine or urine output. A staging system for AKI which reflects quantitative changes in serum creatinine and urine output has been developed. We describe the formation of a multidisciplinary collaborative network focused on AKI. We have proposed uniform standards for diagnosing and classifying AKI which will need to be validated in future studies. The Acute Kidney Injury Network offers a mechanism for proceeding with efforts to improve patient outcomes.

Acute Kidney Injury Network: report of an initiative to improve outcomes in acute kidney injury

2D\n: two-dimensional\n99mTc-DPD\n: 99mTechnetium-3,3-diphosphono- 1,2-propanodi-carboxylic acid\nACE\n: angiotensin-converting enzyme\nAF\n: atrial fibrillation\nAL\n: amyloid light chain\nAR\n: aortic regurgitation\nARB\n: angiotensin receptor blocker\nATTR\n: amyloidosis-transthyretin type\nAV\n: atrioventricular\nBiVAD\n: biventricular assist device\nBNP\n: brain natriuretic peptide\nBPM\n: Beats per minute\nCCS\n: Canadian Cardiovascular Society\nCFC\n: cardiofacialcutaneous\nCHA2DS2-VASc\n: Congestive Heart failure, hypertension, Age ≥75 (doubled), Diabetes, Stroke (doubled), Vascular disease, Age 65–74, and Sex (female)\nCMR\n: cardiac magnetic resonance\nCRT\n: cardiac resynchronization therapy\nCRT-D\n: cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator\nCRT-P\n: Cardiac resynchronization therapy with a pacemaker\nCT\n: computed tomography\nDC\n: direct current\nDNA\n: deoxyribonucleic acid\nE/A\n: ratio of mitral peak velocity of early filling (E) to mitral peak velocity of late filling (A)\nE/e’\n: ratio of early transmitral flow velocity (E) to early mitral annulus velocity (e’)\nEACTS\n: European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery\nECG\n: electrocardiogram\nEF\n: ejection fraction\nEPS\n: electrophysiological study\nESC\n: European Society of Cardiology\nFDA\n: (US) Food and Drug Administration\nFHL1\n: four and a half LIM domains 1\nHAS-BLED\n: hypertension, abnormal renal/liver function, stroke, bleeding history or predisposition, labile INR, elderly (>65 years), drugs/alcohol concomitantly\nHCM\n: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy\nhs-cTnT\n: high sensitivity cardiac troponin T\nHTS\n: high throughput sequencing\nICD\n: implantable cardioverter defibrillator\nILR\n: implantable loop recorder\nINR\n: international normalized ratio\nIUD\n: intrauterine device\nLA\n: left atrium\nLAMP-2\n: lysosome-associated membrane protein 2\nLBBB\n: left bundle branch block\nLEOPARD\n: Lentigines, ECG abnormalities, Ocular hypertelorism, Pulmonary stenosis, Abnormal genitalia, Retardation of growth, and sensory-neural Deafness\nLGE\n: late gadolinium enhancement\nLV\n: left ventricular\nLVAD\n: left ventricular assist device\nLVH\n: left ventricular hypertrophy\nLVOTO\n: left ventricular outlow tract obstruction\nMADIT-RIT\n: Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial—Reduce Inappropriate Therapy\nMAPK\n: mitogen activated protein kinase\nMELAS\n: mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes\nMERFF\n: myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibres\nMRA\n: mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist\nMYBPC3\n: myosin-binding protein C, cardiac-type\nMYH7\n: myosin-7 (s-myosin heavy chain)\nMYL3\n: myosin light chain 3\nNOAC\n: new oral anticoagulants\nNSVT\n: non-sustained ventricular tachycardia\nNT-proBNP\n: N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide\nNYHA\n: New York Heart Association\nOAC\n: oral anticoagulants\no.d.\n: omni die (every day)\nPC-CMR\n: phase contrast cardiac magnetic resonance\nPDE5\n: phosphodiesterase type 5\nPET\n: positron emission tomography\nPRKAG2\n: gamma-2 sub-unit of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase\nRAAS\n: renin angiotensin aldosterone system\nRV\n: right ventricular\nSAM\n: systolic anterior motion\nSCD\n: sudden cardiac death\nSAA\n: septal alcohol ablation\nS-ICD™\n: Subcutaneous lead implantable cardioverter defibrillator\nSPECT\n: single photon emission computed tomography\nSSFP\n: steady-state free precession\nSVT\n: supraventricular tachycardia\nTOE\n: transoesophageal echocardiography\nTNNI3\n: troponin I, cardiac muscle\nTNNT2\n: troponin T, cardiac muscle\nTPM1\n: tropomyosin alpha-1 chain\nTTE\n: transthoracic echocardiography\nTTR\n: transthyretin\nVF\n: ventricular fibrillation\nVKA\n: vitamin K antagonist\nVT\n: ventricular tachycardia\nWHO\n: World Health Organization\n\nGuidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence at the time of the writing process, on a particular issue with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for an individual patient, with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk-benefit-ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help the health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate.\n\nA great number of Guidelines have been issued in recent years by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) as well as by other societies and organisations. Because of the impact on clinical practice, quality criteria for the development of guidelines have been established in order to make all decisions transparent to the user. The recommendations for formulating and issuing ESC Guidelines can be found on the ESC website (http://www.escardio.org/guidelines-surveys/esc-guidelines/about/Pages/rules-writing.aspx). ESC Guidelines represent the official position of the ESC on a given topic and are regularly updated.\n\nMembers of this Task Force were selected by the ESC to represent professionals involved with the medical care of patients with this pathology. Selected experts in the field undertook a comprehensive review of the published evidence for management (including diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation) of a given condition according to ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG) policy. A critical evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was performed including assessment of the risk-benefit-ratio. Estimates of expected health outcomes for larger populations were included, where data exist. The level of evidence and the strength of recommendation of particular management options were weighed and graded according to predefined scales, as outlined in Tables 1 and 2 .\n\nThe experts of …

2014 ESC Guidelines on diagnosis and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

ACC
: American College of Cardiology
ACE
: angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACS
: acute coronary syndrome
AF
: atrial fibrillation
AGNES
: Arrhythmia Genetics in the Netherlands
AHA
: American Heart Association
AMIOVIRT
: AMIOdarone Versus Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator:

/pdf/2015-esc-guidelines-for-the-management-of-patients-with-3hzn8vw0c4.pdf

2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: The Task Force for the Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC)

https://www.heartrhythmjournal.com/article/S1547-5271(08)00462-1/pdf

ACC/AHA/HRS 2008 Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the ACC/AHA/NASPE 2002 Guideline Update for Implantation of Cardiac Pacemakers and Antiarrhythmia Devices): Developed in Collaboration With the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons

In biology, classification systems are used to promote understanding and systematic discussion through the use of logical groups and hierarchies In clinical medicine, similar principles are used to standardise the nomenclature of disease For more than three decades, heart muscle diseases have been classified into primary or idiopathic myocardial diseases (cardiomyopathies) and secondary disorders that have similar morphological appearances, but which are caused by an identifiable pathology such as coronary artery disease or myocardial infiltration (specific heart muscle diseases) In this document, The European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases presents an update of the existing classification scheme The aim is to help clinicians look beyond generic diagnostic labels in order to reach more specific diagnoses

/pdf/classification-of-the-cardiomyopathies-a-position-statement-5d1tlwp7az.pdf

Classification of the cardiomyopathies: a position statement from the european society of cardiology working group on myocardial and pericardial diseases

Background The incidence and age distribution of primary cardiomyopathy in children are not well defined. We undertook a population-based, retrospective cohort study in Australia to document the epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy. Methods We analyzed all cases of primary cardiomyopathy in children who presented between 1987 and 1996 and who were younger than 10 years of age. Children were recruited from multiple sources, and cases of cardiomyopathy were classified according to World Health Organization guidelines. Results Over the 10-year period, 314 new cases of primary cardiomyopathy were identified, for an annual incidence of 1.24 per 100,000 children younger than 10 years of age (95 percent confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.38). Dilated cardiomyopathy made up 58.6 percent of cases, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 25.5 percent, restrictive cardiomyopathy 2.5 percent, and left ventricular noncompaction 9.2 percent of cases. The incidence of all types of cardiomyopathy except restrictive declined rapidly ...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa021737

The epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy in Australia.

A replacement heart valve apparatus. The heart valve apparatus includes a stent and a valve frame having a substantially cylindrical body defining a lumen. The valve frame includes a plurality of curved wire pairs attached to the substantially cylindrical body. Each curved wire pair includes an inner curved wire and an outer curved wire. The wire frame further having a plurality of leaflets. Each leaflet is attached to a respective inner curved wire and extends over a respective outer curved wire, so as to position the body of the leaflet within the lumen of the valve frame.

Transcatheter delivery of a replacement heart valve

Background— Despite considerable mortality, population-based prognostic factors for childhood dilated cardiomyopathy are lacking. Methods and Results— A population-based cohort study was undertaken of all children in Australia who presented with cardiomyopathy at age 0 to 10 years between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 1996. A single cardiologist analyzed all cardiac investigations, and a single pathologist analyzed histopathological material. There were 184 subjects with dilated cardiomyopathy. Positive viral identification or lymphocytic myocarditis was found in 30 (68.2%) of 44 cases with available early histology and 8 of 9 cases presenting with sudden death. Freedom from death or transplantation was 72% (95% CI, 65% to 78%) 1 year after presentation and 63% (95% CI, 55% to 70%) at 5 years. By proportional hazards regression analysis, risk factors for death or transplantation comprised age >5 years at presentation (hazard ratio 5.6, 95% CI, 2.6 to 12.0), familial dilated cardiomyopathy (hazard rati...

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Childhood Dilated Cardiomyopathy Results From a National Population-Based Study

Background— Population-based studies have provided insight into the natural history of adult hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but comparable information for affected children is lacking. Methods and Results— All Australian children who presented with primary cardiomyopathy at 0 to 10 years of age between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 1996, were enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. A single cardiologist reviewed serial cardiac investigations on each subject. A total of 80 subjects with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were identified. An underlying syndromal, genetic, or metabolic condition was identified in 46 subjects (57.5%). There were no cases of sudden death at presentation. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction was present in 32 subjects (40%); right ventricular outflow obstruction was present in 10 (12.5%). Freedom from death or transplantation was 83% (95% CI, 73 to 90) 5 years after presentation and 76% (95% CI, 62 to 86) 10 years after presentation. By proportional-hazards regression analysi...

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Childhood Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background— The optimal treatment for dysfunctional right ventricle–to–pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduits is unknown. Limited follow-up data on stenting of RV-PA conduits have been reported. Methods and Results— Between 1990 and 2004, deployment of balloon-expandable bare stents was attempted in 242 obstructed RV-PA conduits in 221 patients (median age, 6.7 years). Acute hemodynamic changes after stenting included significantly decreased RV systolic pressure (89±18 to 65±20 mm Hg, P<0.001) and peak RV-PA gradient (59±19 to 27±14 mm Hg, P<0.001). There were no deaths, and, aside from 5 malpositioned stents requiring surgical removal, there were no serious procedural complications. During follow-up of 4.0±3.2 years, 9 patients died and 2 underwent heart transplantation, none related to catheterization or stent malfunction. During 155 follow-up catheterizations in 126 patients, the stent was redilated in 83 patients and additional stents were placed in 41. Stent fractures were diagnosed in 56 patients (43%) a...

Alan Nugent

Papers

The epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy in Australia.

Transcatheter delivery of a replacement heart valve

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Childhood Dilated Cardiomyopathy Results From a National Population-Based Study

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Childhood Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Endovascular Stenting of Obstructed Right Ventricle–to–Pulmonary Artery Conduits A 15-Year Experience