Epidemiology

The exact incidence of ATN has not been established primarily because of the difference in definition and characteristics of assessed patients. For example, the terms acute kidney injury (AKI) and ATN are often mistakenly interchanged.[5] Nevertheless, ATN has been estimated to account for 76% of AKI cases in critical care units.[5] 

AKI is a common diagnosis. It may be overestimated in cases of unrecognised chronic kidney disease, or underestimated in patients with subclinical manifestations.[6] The incidence of AKI is also highly variable due to the different definitions developed over the past decade. It has been estimated to affect 2-3 people per 1000 individuals in the US, affecting older individuals in a greater proportion.[1][7] The rate of AKI in 2011 among US Medicare patients aged 66 to 69 years was 14.9 per 1000 individuals, increasing to 18.8 per 1000 individuals in patients aged 70 to 74 years and 35.9 per 1000 in individuals ≥85 years.[1][8] In the UK, the incidence has been described as high as 15 in 1000 adults per year.[1][9]

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