Severe metabolic acidemia in the critically ill (pH equal or less than 7.20; PaCO2 equal or less than 45mmHg and bicarbonate concentration equal or less than of 20 mmol/l) is associated with a 50% rate of day 28 mortality. Moderate to severe acute kidney injury is a frequent cause of metabolic acidemia in the critically ill. When both severe metabolic acidemia and moderate to severe acute kidney injury are observed, day 28 mortality is approximatively 55-60%. Severe acidemia has been shown to be a biomarker of severity but may also contribute by itself to outcome. Investigators recently performed a multiple center randomised clinical trial (BICARICU-1) that suggests that sodium bicarbonate infusion titrated to maintain the pH equal or more than 7.30 is associated with a higher survival rate (secondary endpoint) in patients presenting both severe metabolic acidemia and moderate to severe acute kidney injury patients. Whether sodium bicarbonate infusion may improve long term survival (Day 90, primary outcome) in these severe acute kidney injury patients is currently unknown.
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Day 90 all-cause mortality
Timeframe: Day 90