Higher total ultrafiltration volume during cardiopulmonary bypass-assisted infant cardiac surgery is associated with acute kidney injury and fluid overload.

Ultrafiltration (UF) is used for fluid removal during and after infant cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery to reduce fluid overload. Excessive UF may have the opposite of its intended effect, resulting in acute kidney injury (AKI), oliganuria, and fluid retention. This is a single-center, retrospective review of infants treated with conventional and/or modified UF during CPB surgery. UF volume was indexed to weight. AKI was defined using serum creatinine “Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO)” criteria. Fluid balance was defined according to: $$ \left[\frac{total\ intake\ (mL)- total\ output\ (mL)}{preoperative\ weight\ (g)}\right]x\ 100 $$ . Peak fluid overload was determined on postoperative day 3. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates was used to explore associations with UF, AKI, and fluid overload. Five hundred thirty subjects 119.9 mL/kg did not reduce peak fluid overload. Subjects with AKI took longer to reach a negative fluid balance (2 vs. 3 days, p = 0.04). Those with more complex surgery were at highest AKI risk (STAT 3 [25–75 percentile: 3–4] in AKI group versus STAT 3 [25–75 percentile: 2–4] in non-AKI group, p = 0.05). AKI was reduced in subjects undergoing more complex surgery and treated with UF volume < 119.9 mL/kg. Judicious use of UF in more complex congenital cardiac surgery reduces the risk of AKI.