STandard Versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI)

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and devastating complication of critical illness. Once AKI is established, treatment is largely supportive and no intervention has been found to restore kidney function or improve overall survival. Renal replacement therapy (RRT), usually in the form of hemodialysis, is frequently needed to manage patients with severe AKI. Such patients have an in-hospital mortality that consistently exceeds 50%. Delay in the initiation of RRT has been implicated as a possible contributor to this poor outcome. A recent meta-analysis suggested that earlier initiation of RRT may improve survival. However, completed trials to date have been small, single centre, limited by study quality, and have shown considerable heterogeneity in terms of definitions used for "early" RRT initiation.

The objectives of this trial are to determine whether, in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI), randomization to accelerated initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT), compared with standard initiation, is:

1. Feasible, in terms of adherence to the protocol (primary outcome), recruitment rates, and achievement of follow-up; and
2. Safe, from the perspective of potential adverse events associated with the earlier or later initiation of RRT

This pilot trial is intended to guide and inform the design of a phase III multicentre randomized trial of accelerated versus standard initiation of RRT in critically ill patients that will evaluate the impact of the intervention on 90-day all-cause mortality and recovery of kidney function.