Strategies for the Identification and Management of Acute Kidney Injury Episodes Outside the Hospital Setting

Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a major concern in renal and systemic health research, traditionally investigated within hospital and critical care contexts. As a rapid decline in kidney function, AKI significantly increases mortality risks and predisposes patients to chronic kidney disease and, in severe cases, end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis or transplantation. Recent epidemiological evidence, however, reveals that AKI does not exclusively occur among hospitalized or critically ill patients. Increasingly, studies demonstrate the presence of unrecognized or asymptomatic episodes of AKI in outpatient populations, often linked to environmental and lifestyle exposures such as over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, dietary imbalances, extreme temperatures, strenuous exercise, and air pollution. These findings have prompted an urgent need to understand how AKI manifests and can be detected outside clinical settings. Despite progress in biomarker discovery and diagnostic modeling, major gaps persist regarding population-based screening, risk prediction, and the translation of novel detection tools into outpatient practice.

This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding and detection of acute kidney injury in outpatient care, addressing the multifactorial nature of its occurrence and the systemic barriers to timely diagnosis. It seeks to consolidate scientific evidence from epidemiology, clinical nephrology, digital health, and public health to enrich knowledge on early recognition, intervention, and prevention. Specific objectives include identifying high-risk patient subgroups, validating novel diagnostic pathways, exploring the role of environmental and pharmacological exposures, and assessing the potential of emerging technologies such as telemonitoring and artificial intelligence in community-based detection. By fostering multidisciplinary dialogue, this initiative intends to accelerate the transition of AKI research from hospital-centric paradigms to proactive outpatient surveillance.

To gather further insights into the mechanisms and approaches surrounding AKI detection and management in ambulatory contexts, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Development and validation of biomarkers and diagnostic algorithms for outpatient AKI detection
- Risk stratification models incorporating environmental and behavioral risk factors
- Implementation and evaluation of telemedicine, wearable sensors, and AI decision-support tools
- Guidelines and clinical workflows for early recognition and follow-up in primary care settings
- Case studies and cohort analyses illustrating effective prevention or management of outpatient AKI
- Educational frameworks promoting clinician and patient awareness of nephrotoxic exposures
- Health policy analyses examining the cost-effectiveness and societal benefits of early AKI detection

We welcome submissions including original research, reviews, case reports, clinical trials, methodologies, and opinion pieces.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Acute Kidney Injury, AKI, outpatient care, diagnostic methods, biomarkers, risk factors, environmental nephrotoxins, clinical guidelines, telemedicine, AI tools, case studies, cohort studies, patient education, healthcare policy, early detection, patient

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.