Purpose: The results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning the timing of initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) are still inconsistent.Materials and methods: We searched for RCTs, as well as relevant references, focusing on the timing of RRT for AKI patients in the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Chinese databases from their inception to December 2018.Results: We included 18 RCTs from 1997 to 2018 involving 2856 patients. Pooled analyses of all RCTs showed no significant difference in mortality between early initiation and delayed initiation of RRT (RR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.08, p = .7) (I2 = 2%), and similar results were found in critically ill and community-acquired AKI patients, as well as in a subgroup of patients with sepsis and in cardiac surgery recipients. There was also no difference in the incidence of dialysis independence (RR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.47 to 1.2, p = .2) (I2 = 0). However, an early RRT strategy was associated with a significantly higher incidence of the need for RRT for AKI patients (RR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.36, p < .01) (I2 = 34%).Conclusions: As no life-threatening complications occurred, there was no evidence to show any benefit of an early RRT strategy for critically ill or community-acquired AKI patients; in contrast, a delayed strategy might avert the need for RRT.
Keywords: Acute kidney injury; early strategy; meta-analysis; renal replacement therapy; timing.