Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a sudden decrease in kidney function within a few hours or days. AKI is common in hospitalized patients, especially the elderly and those in intensive care. It causes a build-up of waste products in the blood, makes it difficult for the kidneys to maintain the body’s fluid balance, and can damage other organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs.

Creatinine is produced continuously by the normal breakdown of muscle tissues. Kidneys filter creatinine which is excreted into urine. Blood tests for creatinine measure kidney function with high levels indicating poor kidney function. The normal range for creatinine is 0.84 to 1.21 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), but this can vary based on gender and age. Creatinine levels can temporarily be elevated due to dehydration, recent red meat consumption, and certain medications. Creatinine levels from 1.6 – 2.0 indicate Stage 1 kidney insufficiency (damage). In this case we examine the length of inpatient hospital stay for those patients with and without acute kidney injury.