Batool A, Chaudhry S, Koratala A. Transcending boundaries: Unleashing the potential of multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound in acute kidney injury. World J Nephrol 2023; 12(4): 93-103 [PMID: 37766842 DOI: 10.5527/wjn.v12.i4.93]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Abhilash Koratala, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Road, Room A 7633, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States. akoratala@mcw.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Nephrol. Sep 25, 2023; 12(4): 93-103 Published online Sep 25, 2023. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v12.i4.93
Transcending boundaries: Unleashing the potential of multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound in acute kidney injury
Aisha Batool, Shahzad Chaudhry, Abhilash Koratala
Aisha Batool, Abhilash Koratala, Department of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
Shahzad Chaudhry, Department of Family Medicine, Advocate Aurora Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI 53202, United States
Author contributions: Batool A and Chaudhry S drafted the manuscript; Koratala A designed the manuscript, reviewed, and revised for critical intellectual content; All authors have read and approved the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. Abhilash Koratala reports research funding from KidneyCure and the American Society of Nephrology’s William and Sandra Bennett Clinical Scholars Grant.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abhilash Koratala, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Road, Room A 7633, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States. akoratala@mcw.edu
Received: June 19, 2023 Peer-review started: June 19, 2023 First decision: July 19, 2023 Revised: July 24, 2023 Accepted: September 11, 2023 Article in press: September 11, 2023 Published online: September 25, 2023 Processing time: 92 Days and 8.6 Hours
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid increase in serum creatinine levels or a decrease in urine output or both. In spite of thorough history-taking, physical examination, and laboratory analysis, there are limitations in the diagnostic process and clinical monitoring of AKI. Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), a limited ultrasound study performed by clinicians at the bedside, has emerged as a valuable tool in different clinical settings. In this discussion, we explore the potential of POCUS performed by nephrologists to address specific questions encountered in the diagnosis and management of AKI patients. POCUS not only aids in excluding hydronephrosis but also provides real-time insights into hemodynamics, enabling formulation of individualized treatment plans. Further studies are required to assess the impact of multi-organ POCUS on pragmatic patient outcomes related to AKI, as well as its potential in risk stratification and identification of different levels of AKI severity and pathophysiological signatures.
Core Tip: Point-of-care ultrasound, not limited to kidney is a valuable addition to nephrologists’ toolkit, which enhances diagnostic accuracy and guides therapy when properly integrated with clinical and laboratory parameters.
