Researchers studied 390 adult neurocritical care patients in an ICU at high altitude (3,650 meters) in Tibet from January 2022 to February 2024. They looked at how often acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred within 7 days of admission.
About 21% of patients (83 out of 390) developed AKI. The study found that older age and higher hemoglobin levels were independent predictors of AKI. Altitude-related erythrocytosis (thickening of the blood) was also noted as a contributing factor.
This was a retrospective, single-center observational study, so it shows links but cannot prove cause. No safety data were reported. The main reason to be careful is that findings come from one high-altitude hospital and may not apply elsewhere.
The takeaway is that AKI is common in neurocritical patients at high altitude and may be tied to age and blood thickness, suggesting a need for tailored kidney protection strategies in similar settings.