Longer time on continuous renalreplacement therapy (CRRT) is associatedwith carnitine deficiency inchildren, according to a new study.
Kristen Sgambat, MD, and AshaMoudgil, MD, of the Children’sNational Health System inWashington, D.C., studied 42children receiving CRRT for acutekidney injury. At baseline, 30.7% and35.7% of the patients were deficientin total and free carnitine, respectively,the researchers reported ina paper published online ahead ofprint in Hemodialysis International.These proportions rose to 64.5%and 70% within 1 week, 80% and90% by 2 weeks, and 100% and100% after receiving CRRT for 3weeks or more.
Total and free carnitinelevels negatively correlated withdays on CRRT Patients with total andfree carnitine deficiency had a 5.9and 4.9 greater odds of death thanthose with normal levels, accordingto the investigators.“Carnitine is significantly andrapidly depleted with longer timeon CRRT, and carnitine deficiency isassociated with increased mortality,”the authors concluded.
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