Kidney involvement in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is common, and can range from the presence of proteinuria and haematuria to acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT; also known as kidney replacement therapy). COVID-19-associated AKI (COVID-19 AKI) is associated with high mortality and serves as an independent risk factor for all-cause in-hospital death in patients with COVID-19. The pathophysiology and mechanisms of AKI in patients with COVID-19 have not been fully elucidated and seem to be multifactorial, in keeping with the pathophysiology of AKI in other patients who are critically ill. Little is known about the prevention and management of COVID-19 AKI. The emergence of regional ‘surges’ in COVID-19 cases can limit hospital resources, including dialysis availability and supplies; thus, careful daily assessment of available resources is needed. In this Consensus Statement, the Acute Disease Quality Initiative provides recommendations for the diagnosis, prevention and management of COVID-19 AKI based on current literature. We also make recommendations for areas of future research, which are aimed at improving understanding of the underlying processes and improving outcomes for patients with COVID-19 AKI.

According to data from 2015 Open Payments reports, 48% of physicians were reported to have received a total of $2.4 billion in industry-related payments, primarily general payments, with a higher likelihood and higher value of payments to physicians in surgical vs primary care specialties and to male vs female physicians.

It is unclear what role the experimental drug and convalescent plasma had in the recovery of these patients. Prospective clinical trials are needed to delineate the role of investigational therapies in the care of patients with EVD.

Clinical suspicion of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva early in life on the basis of malformed great toes can lead to early clinical diagnosis, confirmatory diagnostic genetic testing, and the avoidance of additional harmful diagnostic and treatment procedures. This is the first report of genetic confirmation of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva before the appearance of heterotopic ossification. Pediatricians should be aware of the early diagnostic features of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, even before the appearance of heterotopic ossification. This awareness should prompt early genetic consultation and testing and the institution of assiduous precautions to prevent iatrogenic harm.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a devastating complication commonly occurring in the critically ill population with devastating short- and long-term consequences. Despite standardization of the definition and staging of AKI, early recognition remains challenging given that serum creatinine (Scr) is a marker—albeit imperfect—of kidney function and not kidney injury. Furthermore, the delay in rise of Scr after loss of glomerular filtration also prevents timely detection of decreased kidney function in patients with AKI. Over the past decade, numerous clinical investigations have evaluated the utility of several biomarkers in the early diagnosis and risk stratification of AKI. In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of a test based on the combination of the urine concentrations of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 ([TIMP-2]x[IGFBP7]) to determine if certain critically ill patients are at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI. The optimal role of this biomarker in diagnosis, management, and prognosis of AKI in different clinical settings requires further clarification. In this perspective, we summarize the biological actions of these two cell-cycle arrest biomarkers, and present important considerations regarding the clinical application, interpretation, and limitations of this novel test for the early detection AKI.