What is Acute Kidney Injury?
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) or Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is the sudden failure of the kidney’s functioning that occurs within a few hours or a few days. It causes the accumulation of waste products in blood, making it hard of kidneys to keep the right fluid balance in the body.
Why is Acute Kidney Injury in the News?
An investigation led by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Gambian scientists have linked the acute kidney injury (AKI) cluster among children in The Gambia to Indian cough syrups contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG). The report states that medications contaminated with DEG or EG imported into The Gambia caused the outbreak of AKI, which has been previously documented in Panama, Nigeria, and Haiti. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reveals that among the 78 clinically suspected AKI cases identified, 85% resulted in death.
Background
Last October, the WHO issued an alert calling for the withdrawal of cough syrups manufactured by the Indian firm, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, due to diethylene and ethylene glycol contamination. According to the report, 70 children’s deaths have been tied to contaminated cough syrups.
What is Acute Kidney Injury?
It is an injury where the kidney stops working suddenly. There are four phases in the AKI. They are initiation, oligo-anuria, polyuria, and restitution. Urine output decreases in AKI.
How did glycol in the syrup lead to AKI?
If the glycol levels increase by more than 0.1 ml per kg of body weight, it becomes poison. This means if the syrup prescribed for adults is given to kids, then it becomes poison.
About Ethylene Glycol
It has very low vapour pressure. It is not absorbed by the skin. It causes irritation when breathed in. The “OSMOLAL GAP” test is used to detect if a person is poisoned by ethylene glycol.
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2023
Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs