Study suggests that hospital admissions for acute kidney injury may be linked to air pollution

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a decrease in kidney function. AKI is very common in the United States’ Medicare population, particularly among hospital intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Furthermore, AKI is associated with the incidence of end-stage renal disease, which eventually increases the burden of long-term care, higher health-care costs, and increased mortality.