Young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are increasing in number with an increased risk for acute kidney injury. Little is known concerning the impact of non-recovery of kidney function for these patients. Therefore, we sought to explore the rates of acute kidney disease, persistent renal dysfunction, and their associations with adverse outcomes in young adults with CHD.

This is a single-centre retrospective study including all patients at the ages of 18–40 with CHD who were admitted to an intensive care unit between 2010 and 2014. Patients with a creatinine ≥ 1.5 times the baseline at the time of hospital discharge were deemed to have persistent renal dysfunction, while acute kidney disease was defined as a creatinine ≥ 1.5 times the baseline 7–28 days after a diagnosis of acute kidney injury. Outcomes of death at 5 years and length of hospital stay were examined using multivariable logistic regression and negative binomial regression, respectively.

Of the (89/195) 45.6% of patients with acute kidney injury, 33.7% had persistent renal dysfunction and 23.6% met the criteria for acute kidney disease. Persistent renal dysfunction [odds ratio (OR), 3.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15–9.29] and acute kidney disease (OR: 11.79; 95% CI: 3.75–39.09) were independently associated with mortality at 5 years. Persistent renal dysfunction was associated with a longer duration of hospital stay (Incidence Rate Ratio: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.53–2.51).

In young adults with CHD, acute kidney injury was common and persistent renal dysfunction, as well as acute kidney disease, were associated with increased mortality and length of hospitalisation.