INTRODUCTION: The recent RIFLE classification defines three degrees for severity of acute kidney injury (AKI): RISK, INJURY and FAILURE and was associated with mortality according to the grading of the severity of AKI, but little valued at prospective studies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of RIFLE score with mortality in critically ill patients and compare the clinical characteristics between them. METHOD: An observational prospective cohort study of 200 patients admitted to the ICU, from July/2010 to July/2011. Patients included were older than 18 years, had for more than 24 hours in the ICU and signed the Term of informed consent. RESULTS: The frequence of AKI in the ICU was 47% (n = 95), the maximum RIFLE: Risk 4.5% (n = 09), Injury 11%(n = 23) and Failure 31.5% (n = 63). The ICU mortality was 25.5% (n = 51). The RIFLE categorized into class RIFLEmaximum class Injury + Failure had a higher mortality compared to the subgroup categorized No LRA + AKI Risk class (53.3% vs. 4.4%) and the greater the relative risk of the patient so classified: RR = 3.3 (95%: 2.5 to 4.4) p < 0.001. RIFLE categorized as RIFLEmaximum class Injury + Failure and SOFAmaximum score, independently associated with ICU mortality after adjustment for multiple variables. CONCLUSION: The severity of AKI according to RIFLE criteria was a risk marker for mortality in this population. The LRA group class Injury + Failure was associated with increased mortality when compared to the subgroup Without AKI + AKI that remained in Risk class even after adjustments for multiple variables.
acute kidney injury; apache; intensive care units; mortality; prognosis
