Pregnancy Kidney Injury Consortium
Our team based at King’s College London, led by Katherine Clark and Dr Kate Bramham, has been working with an international team of midwives, nephrologists, obstetricians and members of the community, to improve pregnancy care in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) by focusing on pregnancy associated acute kidney injury (PrAKI). This new global PrAKI research consortium aims to address the disparity in burden of disease and outcomes in LMICs through research and education.
Click here for our Global Survey of Pregnancy Associated Acute Kidney Injury
Background
PrAKI is a significant contributor to the rise of haemodialysis cases in LMICs. Often stemming from complications like pre-eclampsia, sepsis, or haemorrhage, it places immense burdens on both lives and finances. The toll is twofold: maternal mortality rates spike, robbing families of caregivers and breadwinners, while survivors face long-term health challenges necessitating costly and often inaccessible dialysis treatments. This dual impact exacerbates socio-economic disparities, straining healthcare systems already stretched thin. Addressing this crisis demands improved maternal healthcare infrastructure, early detection protocols, and affordable treatment options to mitigate the devastating consequences of pregnancy-related AKI in LMICs.
Midwives are crucial in addressing this global crisis as PrAKI can often be prevented by good antenatal care and timely identification and escalation.
The Consortium
The consortium is lead by Katherine Clark and Dr Kate Bramham. If you are interested in joining this group, are interested in discussing a research or education idea or have a proposal then please email Katherine.clark@kcl.ac.uk.
Publications
- Clark K, Joslin J, Gill C, Smith P, Martin H, Tarft H, Conti-Ramsden F, Chappell LC, Ostermann M, Bramham K. (2024) Nephrocheck AKI risk scores (TIMP-2 and IGFBP7) in pregnancy. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.
- Smith P, Sarris I, Clark K, Wiles K, Bramham K. (2024) Kidney disease and reproductive health. Nature Reviews Nephrology.
Planned Work
Global PrAKI Survey
Global survey for midwives, doctors and nurses of the barriers and facilitators to the identification and management of pregnancy associated acute kidney injury.
Complete the survey here.
Thank you for your interest in completing this important survey.
We aim to understand the barriers to diagnosis and treatment of PrAKI in various settings. The results will be used to inform the next steps in addressing this global problem.
The survey is now OPEN but for two weeks only. It will close on World Pre-eclampsia Day, 22 May 2025.
All midwives, nurses, doctors and birth workers are invited to complete this survey, which is available in a number of languages. Please share widely.
The first PrAKI Academy teaching for nurses and midwives in UTH,Lusaka and NTH, Ndola in Zambia, April 2025.