Sakai W, et al. - This study was conducted to shed light on the impact of the use of remifentanil during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). In patients who underwent cardiac surgery, no decrease was reported in the incidence of postoperative AKI when remifentanil was used during CPB.

Methods

• This study included patients who underwent valve surgery while under cardiopulmonary bypass between January 2012 and December 2014 in researchers' hospital.
• Patients who received remifentanil during CPB (group R) were compared with those who did not (group N) in terms of the incidences of postoperative AKI.
• Researchers performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses to determine risk factors for AKI.

Results

• In this study, 80 patients received remifentanil (group R) and 50 patients did not (group N).
• Group R and group N were not significantly different in terms of incidences of AKI (51% vs. 36%, P=0.10).
• It was demonstrated in multivariate regression analysis that age [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.048, 95% CI 1.008–1.089, P=0.017], male gender (adjusted OR 3.101, 95% CI 1.303–7.378, P=0.011), and use of preoperative calcium channel blockers (adjusted OR 3.240, 95% CI 1.302–8.063, P=0.011) and diuretics (adjusted OR 2.673, 95% CI 1.178–6.066, P=0.019) were related to the incidence of AKI.
• In addition, data reported no association of the use of remifentanil with AKI (adjusted OR 2.321, 95% CI 0.997–5.402, P=0.051).