A study of worsening renal function during therapy of cardiovascular disease and assessment of its prognosis

Abstract

Background and Aims

Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involves the heart, the blood vessels or both. In patients with cardiovascular diseases, with reduced renal perfusion, it is common to encounter worsening of renal function during the hospital stay. This study was carried out to identify worsening renal function in patients with cardiovascular disease from their renal parameters and to assess the prognosis of the disease in the study population.

Methods and Results

This observational study conducted over a 6 month period found that at presentation, the major diagnosis was Hypertension (96.77%) with the majority of the drugs given to the patients being Anti Hypertensive (16%). Eighteen patients (29.5%) showed Worsening Renal Function. To these patients, Aspirin and Clopidogrel, two nephrotoxic drugs were prescribed during both therapy and discharge. Interactions such as Atorvastatin vs Pantoprazole (25.80%) and Ceftriaxone vs Furosemide (16.12%), both of which can worsen the renal function were identified.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that worsening renal function occurs frequently among hospitalized cardiovascular patients and that clinical characteristics available at hospital admission can be used to identify both the predictors and the patients at increased risk for worsening renal function.