Purpose of review Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in critically ill neonates. Before 2014, data were limited to small retrospective studies. In response, the 2013 NIH-sponsored workshop highlighted the need for collaborative, multidisciplinary research. The Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) study was launched to fill this gap by defining AKI prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes, while also establishing infrastructure for future studies. Recent findings AWAKEN screened 4273 neonates admitted to 24 NICUs over a 3-month period in 2014. Strict criteria, including the requirement for ≥48 h of intravenous fluids, resulted in 2022 enrolled neonates. AKI was defined using a neonatal-modified KDIGO system. Summary AWAKEN confirmed AKI as an independent risk factor for mortality and prolonged hospitalization across all gestational ages. The creation of this high-quality, multicenter database has produced 21 peer-reviewed publications and significantly advanced the field of neonatal nephrology.
Beck et al. (Mon,) studied this question.