Analysis of Renal Resistive Index As A Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury in Critical Care Patients
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased length of hospital stay. Early detection of renal dysfunction by measuring the renal resistive index (RRI) using Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive parameter that reflects intrarenal vascular resistance and has the potential to predict AKI occurrence in critically ill patients. This study aims to compare RRI values between patients with and without AKI based on severity levels classification from AKIN criteria, and to establish the RRI value as a predictor of AKI occurrence in critically ill patients. This study was an analytical observational study with a prospective cohort design conducted on critically ill patients treated in the ICU of dr. Zainal Abidin Banda Aceh General Hospital from June to August 2025. Data were obtained through Doppler ultrasound RRI examination performed within the first 24 hours and medical record data during treatment. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and ROC curve analysis to determine the cut-off value of RRI as an AKI predictor. Out of the 60 critically ill patients who met inclusion criteria, 30 patients (50%) developed AKI during treatment. There were significant differences (p<0.0001) between RRI and AKI occurrence as well as AKI severity, for both the right and left kidneys. ROC curve analysis identified an RRI cut-off value of 0.7 for predicting AKI, with a Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.9628 and CI 95% : 0.9155 – 1.000, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 90%. There are significant differences in RRI values between non-AKI patients and AKI patients at stages 1, 2, and 3. RRI value can be used as a predictor for AKI occurrence in critically ill patients.
Keywords: Acute Kidney Injury, Critically Ill, Doppler Ultrasonography, Renal Resistive Index.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Andrikou, I., Tsioufis, C., Konstantinidis, D., Kasiakogias, A., Dimitriadis, K., Leontsinis, I., Andrikou, E., Sanidas, E., Kallikazaros, I., & Tousoulis, D. (2018). Renal resistive index in hypertensive patients. Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.), 20(12), 1739–1744. https://doi.org/10.1111/JCH.13410
Arbous, S. M., Termorshuizen, F., Brinkman, S., de Lange, D. W., Bosman, R. J., Dekkers, O. M., & de Keizer, N. F. (2024). Three-year mortality of ICU survivors with sepsis, an infection or an inflammatory illness: an individually matched cohort study of ICU patients in the Netherlands from 2007 to 2019. Critical Care (London, England), 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/S13054-024-05165-X
Bennett, S. R. (2015). Sepsis in the intensive care unit. Surgery (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 33(11), 565–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MPSUR.2015.08.002
Berlot, G., & Pozzato, G. (2015). Hematologic problems in the critically Ill. Hematologic Problems in the Critically Ill, 1–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5301-4
Chow, C., Durowoju, R., Alviar, C., Barsness, G. W., Cooper, H. A., Daniels, L. B., Ding, X., Ghafghazi, S., Gidwani, U., Goldfarb, M., Hillerson, D., Katz, J. N., Marano, P., Park, J. G., Pierce, M., Rose, S. W., Roswell, R. O., van Diepen, S., Wagle, A., … Kwon, Y. (2025). Anemia as a potent marker of in-hospital mortality in patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit: Data from the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) Registry. Journal of Intensive Medicine, 5(3), 262. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOINTM.2024.12.006
Cruz, E. G., Broca Garcia, B. E., Sandoval, D. M., Gopar-Nieto, R., Gonzalez Ruiz, F. J., Gallardo, L. D., Ronco, C., Madero, M., & Vasquez Jimenez, E. (2022). Renal Resistive Index as a Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients. Blood Purification, 51(4), 309–316. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517469
Cuttone, G., Geraci, G., La Via, L., Sorbello, M., Pappalardo, F., & Carollo, C. (2025). Exploring the Utility of Renal Resistive Index in Critical Care: Insights into ARDS and Cardiac Failure. Biomedicines, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/BIOMEDICINES13020519
de Bruin, S., Eggermont, D., van Bruggen, R., de Korte, D., Scheeren, T. W., Bakker, J., ... & Wijnberge, M. (2022). Transfusion practice in the bleeding critically ill: An international online survey—The TRACE‐2 survey. Transfusion, 62(2), 324-335. https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16789Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Fu, Y., He, C., Jia, L., Ge, C., Long, L., Bai, Y., Zhang, N., Du, Q., Shen, L., & Zhao, H. (2022). Performance of the renal resistive index and usual clinical indicators in predicting persistent AKI. Renal Failure, 44(1), 2028–2038. https://doi.org/10.1080/0886022X.2022.2147437
Ginting, M. A. R., Hanafie, A., & Lubis, B. (2021). Comparison of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and renal resistive index as acute kidney injury predictor in critically ill patients at icu h. Adam malik hospital medan. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 9(B), 1637–1639. https://doi.org/10.3889/OAMJMS.2021.7014
Grilli, B. A., & Webb, T. G. (2023). Scope of Work. Strategic Sourcing in the Public Sector, 75–88. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003267287-6
Hägglöf, E., Eriksson, J., Bell, M., Hallqvist, L., Engerström, L., & Larsson, E. (2026). Age-related sex differences in intensive care treatment and outcomes: a nationwide cohort study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 136(4), 1217–1225. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BJA.2025.07.044
Haitsma Mulier, J. L. G., Rozemeijer, S., Röttgering, J. G., Spoelstra-de Man, A. M. E., Elbers, P. W. G., Tuinman, P. R., De Waard, M. C., & Oudemans-van Straaten, H. M. (2018). Renal resistive index as an early predictor and discriminator of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients; A prospective observational cohort study. PloS One, 13(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0197967
Jonny, J., Hasyim, M., Angelia, V., Jahya, A. N., Hilman, L. P., Kusumaningrum, V. F., & Srisawat, N. (2020). Incidence of acute kidney injury and use of renal replacement therapy in intensive care unit patients in Indonesia. BMC Nephrology, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/S12882-020-01849-Y
K., Pinanditas, S., Agus, P., Panji, S., Made, I., Widnyana, G., Aryasa, T., Sucandra, A. K., Gde, T., & Senapathi, A. (2024). RENAL RESISTIVE INDEX (RRI) GUIDED BY ULTRASOUND (USG) AS A DIAGNOSTIC PREDICTOR OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN SEPSIS PATIENTS. PREPOTIF : JURNAL KESEHATAN MASYARAKAT, 8(1), 2482–2491. https://doi.org/10.31004/PREPOTIF.V8I1.27245
Parami, P., Senapathi, T. G. A., Duarsa, G. W. K., Wande, I. N., Martadiani, E. D., Arif, S. K., Bumi, D. M., & Jonathan, J. (2025). Renal Resistive Index as a Clinical Biomarker in Acute Kidney Injury. Neurologico Spinale Medico Chirurgico, 8(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.4103/NSMC.NSMC_1_25
Trihartini Maskoen, T., & Akbar, D. (2023). Injuri Ginjal Akut Akibat Sepsis pada Pasien di ICU. JAI (Jurnal Anestesiologi Indonesia), 15(1), 69–85. https://doi.org/10.14710/JAI.V0I0.49464
Raasveld, S. J., De Bruin, S., Reuland, M. C., Van den Oord, C., Schenk, J., Aubron, C., ... & Vlaar, A. P. (2023). Red blood cell transfusion in the intensive care unit. Jama, 330(19), 1852-1861. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.20737
Reizine, F., Le Marec, S., Le Meur, A., Consigny, M., Berteau, F., Bodenes, L., ... & Aubron, C. (2023). Prophylactic platelet transfusion response in critically ill patients: a prospective multicentre observational study. Critical Care, 27(1), 373. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-023-04650-z
Rifka Alkhilyatul Ma’rifat, I Made Suraharta, I. I. J. (2024). No Title 済無No Title No Title No Title. 2, 306–312.
Sakr, Y., Jaschinski, U., Wittebole, X., Szakmany, T., Lipman, J., Ñamendys-Silva, S. A., Martin-Loeches, I., Leone, M., Lupu, M. N., & Vincent, J. L. (2018). Sepsis in Intensive Care Unit Patients: Worldwide Data From the Intensive Care over Nations Audit. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 5(12). https://doi.org/10.1093/OFID/OFY313
Shah, S. J., Chamarthi, R., Gondwe, J., & Charles, A. (2025). The Association Between Acute Kidney Injury and Intensive Care Unit Mortality in a Resource-Limited Setting. Journal of Surgical Research, 314, 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSS.2025.07.046
Yadav, S. K., Hussein, G., Liu, B., Vojjala, N., Warsame, M., El Labban, M., ... & Jain, N. K. (2024). A contemporary review of blood transfusion in critically ill patients. Medicina, 60(8), 1247. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60081247
Yataco, A. O. C., Soghier, I., Hébert, P. C., Belley-Cote, E., Disselkamp, M., Flynn, D., ... & Ouellette, D. R. (2025). Red blood cell transfusion in critically ill adults: an American College of Chest Physicians clinical practice guideline. Chest, 167(2), 477-489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2024.09.016
Zaitoun, T., Megahed, M., Elghoneimy, H., Emara, D. M., Elsayed, I., & Ahmed, I. (2024). Renal arterial resistive index versus novel biomarkers for the early prediction of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Internal and Emergency Medicine, 19(4), 971–981. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11739-024-03558-Y
Zhang, Y., Zhu, J., Zhang, C., Xiao, J., Liu, C., Wang, S., Zhao, P., Zhu, Y., Wang, L., Li, Q., & Luo, Y. (2021). Non-invasive Early Prediction of Septic Acute Kidney Injury by Doppler-Based Renal Resistive Indexes Combined With Echocardiographic Parameters: An Experimental Study. Frontiers in Medicine, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/FMED.2021.723837
Zhu, J., Zhang, Y., Li, X., Li, Q., & Luo, Y. (2021). Doppler-based Renal Resistive Index for Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Advanced Ultrasound in Diagnosis and Therapy, 5(3), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.37015/AUDT.2021.210013
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30829/contagion.v8i2.28532
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Denny Andrea, Nurul Machillah, Fadhilah Rahmi, Teuku Yasir, Muhsin Muhsin, Iskandar Zakaria, Maimun Syukri

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




