Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a diagnosis of exclusion defined as acute kidney injury (AKI) with cirrhosis and ascites, with serum creatinine unresponsive to standardized volume administration and diuretic withdrawal. Persistent intravascular hypovolemia or hypervolemia may contribute to AKI and be...

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Main Authors: Elaine M. Kaptein, Zayar Oo, Matthew J. Kaptein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Renal Failure
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0886022X.2023.2185468
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author Elaine M. Kaptein
Zayar Oo
Matthew J. Kaptein
author_facet Elaine M. Kaptein
Zayar Oo
Matthew J. Kaptein
author_sort Elaine M. Kaptein
collection DOAJ
description Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a diagnosis of exclusion defined as acute kidney injury (AKI) with cirrhosis and ascites, with serum creatinine unresponsive to standardized volume administration and diuretic withdrawal. Persistent intravascular hypovolemia or hypervolemia may contribute to AKI and be revealed by inferior vena cava ultrasound (IVC US), which may guide additional volume management. Twenty hospitalized adult patients meeting HRS-AKI criteria had IVC US to assess intravascular volume after receiving standardized albumin administration and diuretic withdrawal. Six had IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) ≥50% and IVCmax ≤0.7 cm suggesting intravascular hypovolemia, 9 had IVC-CI <20% and IVCmax >0.7 cm suggesting intravascular hypervolemia, and 5 had IVC-CI ≥20% to <50% and IVCmax >0.7 cm. Additional volume management was prescribed in the 15 patients with either hypovolemia or hypervolemia. After 4–5 days, serum creatinine levels decreased ≥20% without hemodialysis in 6 of 20 patients – 3 with hypovolemia received additional volume, and 2 with hypervolemia plus one with ‘euvolemia’ and dyspnea were volume restricted and received diuretics. In the other 14 patients, serum creatinine failed to persistently decrease ≥20% or hemodialysis was required indicating that AKI did not improve. In summary, fifteen of 20 patients (75%) were presumed to have intravascular hypovolemia or hypervolemia by IVC ultrasound. Six of the 20 patients (40%) improved AKI by 4-5 days of follow-up with additional IVC US-guided volume management, and thus had been misdiagnosed as HRS-AKI. IVC US may more accurately define HRS-AKI as being neither hypovolemic nor hypervolemic, and guide volume management, decreasing the frequency of HRS-AKI misdiagnosis.
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spelling doaj-art-56e3093429084783b6a4f4b426c29e402025-08-20T03:53:07ZengTaylor & Francis GroupRenal Failure0886-022X1525-60492023-12-0145110.1080/0886022X.2023.2185468Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide managementElaine M. Kaptein0Zayar Oo1Matthew J. Kaptein2Departments of Medicine, Divisions of Nephrology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartments of Medicine, Divisions of Nephrology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USADepartments of Medicine, Divisions of Nephrology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAHepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a diagnosis of exclusion defined as acute kidney injury (AKI) with cirrhosis and ascites, with serum creatinine unresponsive to standardized volume administration and diuretic withdrawal. Persistent intravascular hypovolemia or hypervolemia may contribute to AKI and be revealed by inferior vena cava ultrasound (IVC US), which may guide additional volume management. Twenty hospitalized adult patients meeting HRS-AKI criteria had IVC US to assess intravascular volume after receiving standardized albumin administration and diuretic withdrawal. Six had IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) ≥50% and IVCmax ≤0.7 cm suggesting intravascular hypovolemia, 9 had IVC-CI <20% and IVCmax >0.7 cm suggesting intravascular hypervolemia, and 5 had IVC-CI ≥20% to <50% and IVCmax >0.7 cm. Additional volume management was prescribed in the 15 patients with either hypovolemia or hypervolemia. After 4–5 days, serum creatinine levels decreased ≥20% without hemodialysis in 6 of 20 patients – 3 with hypovolemia received additional volume, and 2 with hypervolemia plus one with ‘euvolemia’ and dyspnea were volume restricted and received diuretics. In the other 14 patients, serum creatinine failed to persistently decrease ≥20% or hemodialysis was required indicating that AKI did not improve. In summary, fifteen of 20 patients (75%) were presumed to have intravascular hypovolemia or hypervolemia by IVC ultrasound. Six of the 20 patients (40%) improved AKI by 4-5 days of follow-up with additional IVC US-guided volume management, and thus had been misdiagnosed as HRS-AKI. IVC US may more accurately define HRS-AKI as being neither hypovolemic nor hypervolemic, and guide volume management, decreasing the frequency of HRS-AKI misdiagnosis.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0886022X.2023.2185468Inferior vena cava ultrasoundintravascular volumeacute kidney injuryhepatorenal syndromevolume management
spellingShingle Elaine M. Kaptein
Zayar Oo
Matthew J. Kaptein
Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
Renal Failure
Inferior vena cava ultrasound
intravascular volume
acute kidney injury
hepatorenal syndrome
volume management
title Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
title_full Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
title_fullStr Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
title_full_unstemmed Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
title_short Hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
title_sort hepatorenal syndrome misdiagnosis may be reduced using inferior vena cava ultrasound to assess intravascular volume and guide management
topic Inferior vena cava ultrasound
intravascular volume
acute kidney injury
hepatorenal syndrome
volume management
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/0886022X.2023.2185468
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