Marcia Cristina da Silva Magro

Opinião dos estudantes de enfermagem sobre a simulação realística e o estágio curricular em cenário hospitalar

Objective: Comparing the opinion of undergraduate nursing students about the realistic simulation and the curricular internship in a hospital setting. Methods: A comparative study with 55 nursing students who were divided into a control group that did a curriculum internship in a hospital setting, and an experimental group that participated of a realistic simulation prior to the hospital setting. Both groups answered an instrument based on the Likert scale to verify the effectiveness of the two teaching strategies. Results: In the experimental group, 69 % totally agreed that the simulation consolidated the teaching-learning process. In the control group, most students (38.5 %) totally disagreed with the internship in the hospital setting as an isolated strategy. Conclusion: In the opinion of nursing students, the realistic simulation was effective to acquire and refine knowledge and security, in addition to develop critical thinking in face of the common routine clinical situations in nursing care practice.

Impact of cystatin C and RIFLE on renal function assessment after cardiac surgery.

The lack of a consensus classification system and of a specific, sensitive, and early-stage biomarker for kidney injury frequently results in late diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of the present study was to characterize the discriminatory power of cystatin C and the RIFLE and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria for the assessment of renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery. A longitudinal, quantitative study was conducted in intensive care units of the Heart Institute (São Paulo, Brazil) in which 121 patients were followed for the first 72 hr after cardiac surgery. Most of the patients were male (61.2%), and the mean age was 50 years. The most frequent surgeries were valve replacement (48.8%) and myocardial revascularization (43.8%). AKI was defined as an increase of at least 50%, 0.3 mg/dl or 0.5 mg/dl in baseline serum creatinine. The percentage of participants meeting each of these criteria was 13.2%, 28.1%, and 11.6%, respectively. A progressive increase in cystatin C levels was associated with a worsening of renal function, as classified by RIFLE and AKIN (p < .05). Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed the RIFLE and AKIN classification to have good discriminatory power for the assessment of renal function, with the performance of cystatin C being poorer (area under the curve: 0.804 and 0.794 vs. 0.719). However, combining cystatin C and RIFLE resulted in greater discriminatory power for detecting kidney injury in postoperative patients than any marker in isolation.

Risk for acute kidney injury in primary health care

Objective: To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. Method: Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semistructured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered signifi cant when p <0.05. Results: Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. Conclusion: A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifi cally to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classifi cation. Descriptors: Acute Kidney Injury; Primary Health Care; Disease Prevention; Nursing evaluation; Hypertension. RESUMEN Objetivo: Identifi car los pacientes hipertensos y diabéticos con riesgo para desarrollar lesión renal aguda en el escenario de la atención primaria de salud. Método: Estudio observacional, longitudinal y prospectivo. Casuística compuesta de 56 individuos diabéticos e hipertensos. Un cuestionario semiestructurado fue adoptado para la recolección de datos. Para la descripción de los resultados, se calcularon medidas de dispersión, y para el análisis estadístico se usó la prueba de Spearman. El resultado se consideró signifi cativo cuando p < 0,05. Resultados: Del total de la muestra, el 23,2% de los usuarios evolucionaron con deterioro renal, siendo el 19,6% con riesgo para lesión renal y el 3,6% con lesión renal. La edad y el índice de masa corporal tuvieron asociación con el empeoramiento de la función renal (p = 0,0001; p = 0,0003), respectivamente. Conclusión: Se identifi có que un cuarto de los usuarios del sistema de salud, hipertensos y diabéticos, evolucionaron con alteración de la función renal, más específi camente en las etapas de riesgo y de lesión renal según la clasifi cación RIFLE. Descriptores: Lesión Renal Aguda; Atención Primaria de Salud; Prevención de Enfermedades; Evaluación en Enfermería; Hipertensión. PESQUISA Risco para lesão renal aguda na atenção primária à saúde Risk for acute kidney injury in primary health care Riesgo de lesión renal aguda en la atención primaria de salud Marcia Cristina da Silva Magro E-mail: marciamagro@unb.br AUTOR CORRESPONDENTEOBJECTIVE To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. METHOD Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered significant when p <0.05. RESULTS Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. CONCLUSION A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifically to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classification.

Risco para lesão renal aguda na atenção primária à saúde

Objective: To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. Method: Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semistructured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered signifi cant when p <0.05. Results: Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. Conclusion: A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifi cally to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classifi cation. Descriptors: Acute Kidney Injury; Primary Health Care; Disease Prevention; Nursing evaluation; Hypertension. RESUMEN Objetivo: Identifi car los pacientes hipertensos y diabéticos con riesgo para desarrollar lesión renal aguda en el escenario de la atención primaria de salud. Método: Estudio observacional, longitudinal y prospectivo. Casuística compuesta de 56 individuos diabéticos e hipertensos. Un cuestionario semiestructurado fue adoptado para la recolección de datos. Para la descripción de los resultados, se calcularon medidas de dispersión, y para el análisis estadístico se usó la prueba de Spearman. El resultado se consideró signifi cativo cuando p < 0,05. Resultados: Del total de la muestra, el 23,2% de los usuarios evolucionaron con deterioro renal, siendo el 19,6% con riesgo para lesión renal y el 3,6% con lesión renal. La edad y el índice de masa corporal tuvieron asociación con el empeoramiento de la función renal (p = 0,0001; p = 0,0003), respectivamente. Conclusión: Se identifi có que un cuarto de los usuarios del sistema de salud, hipertensos y diabéticos, evolucionaron con alteración de la función renal, más específi camente en las etapas de riesgo y de lesión renal según la clasifi cación RIFLE. Descriptores: Lesión Renal Aguda; Atención Primaria de Salud; Prevención de Enfermedades; Evaluación en Enfermería; Hipertensión. PESQUISA Risco para lesão renal aguda na atenção primária à saúde Risk for acute kidney injury in primary health care Riesgo de lesión renal aguda en la atención primaria de salud Marcia Cristina da Silva Magro E-mail: marciamagro@unb.br AUTOR CORRESPONDENTEOBJECTIVE To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. METHOD Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered significant when p <0.05. RESULTS Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. CONCLUSION A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifically to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classification.

Riesgo de lesión renal aguda en la atención primaria de salu

Objective: To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. Method: Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semistructured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered signifi cant when p <0.05. Results: Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. Conclusion: A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifi cally to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classifi cation. Descriptors: Acute Kidney Injury; Primary Health Care; Disease Prevention; Nursing evaluation; Hypertension. RESUMEN Objetivo: Identifi car los pacientes hipertensos y diabéticos con riesgo para desarrollar lesión renal aguda en el escenario de la atención primaria de salud. Método: Estudio observacional, longitudinal y prospectivo. Casuística compuesta de 56 individuos diabéticos e hipertensos. Un cuestionario semiestructurado fue adoptado para la recolección de datos. Para la descripción de los resultados, se calcularon medidas de dispersión, y para el análisis estadístico se usó la prueba de Spearman. El resultado se consideró signifi cativo cuando p < 0,05. Resultados: Del total de la muestra, el 23,2% de los usuarios evolucionaron con deterioro renal, siendo el 19,6% con riesgo para lesión renal y el 3,6% con lesión renal. La edad y el índice de masa corporal tuvieron asociación con el empeoramiento de la función renal (p = 0,0001; p = 0,0003), respectivamente. Conclusión: Se identifi có que un cuarto de los usuarios del sistema de salud, hipertensos y diabéticos, evolucionaron con alteración de la función renal, más específi camente en las etapas de riesgo y de lesión renal según la clasifi cación RIFLE. Descriptores: Lesión Renal Aguda; Atención Primaria de Salud; Prevención de Enfermedades; Evaluación en Enfermería; Hipertensión. PESQUISA Risco para lesão renal aguda na atenção primária à saúde Risk for acute kidney injury in primary health care Riesgo de lesión renal aguda en la atención primaria de salud Marcia Cristina da Silva Magro E-mail: marciamagro@unb.br AUTOR CORRESPONDENTEOBJECTIVE To identify hypertensive and diabetic patients at risk for developing acute kidney injury in the primary health care setting. METHOD Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. Sample of 56 diabetic and hypertensive individuals. A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. For the description of results, were calculated dispersion measures and the Spearman test was used for statistical analysis. The result was considered significant when p <0.05. RESULTS Of the total sample, 23.2% of users evolved with renal impairment, of which 19.6% with risk for renal injury, and 3.6% with kidney injury itself. Age and body mass index were associated with worsening of renal function (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0003), respectively. CONCLUSION A quarter of the health system users, hypertensive and diabetic, evolved with impaired renal function, more specifically to stages of risk for renal injury and kidney injury according to the RIFLE classification.

RECUPERAÇÃO DE PACIENTES COM LESÃO RENAL AGUDA DIALÍTICA E NÃO DIALÍTICA

O objetivo do estudo foi identificar a recuperacao da funcao renal de pacientes com lesao renal aguda dialitica e nao dialitica. Estudo observacional prospectivo e quantitativo, desenvolvido em unidade de terapia intensiva geral adulta de um hospital publico do Distrito Federal, de janeiro a junho de 2015. Os dados foram coletados a partir de informacoes do prontuario eletronico. Foram acompanhados 109 pacientes, desses 19 eram dialiticos, 10 (52,6%) do sexo feminino, com idade media de 54±19 anos. O grupo nao dialitico constituiu-se por 90 pacientes predominantemente do sexo masculino 47 (52,2%), idade media de 55±21 anos. Entre os dois grupos, o dialitico apresentou como desfecho maior taxa de obito (73,7%; p=0,009) e maior valor de Simplified Acute Physiology Score III (83,0 ± 10,2; p=0,0001). Apesar de o grupo dialitico acumular maior gravidade, o percentual de recuperacao da funcao renal ocorreu em mais de 50% dos pacientes em ambos os grupos.

Simulação como estratégia para o aprendizado em pediatria

INTRODUCAO: a simulacao e importante para situacoes que exijam habilidades psicomotoras ou decisoes rapidas, como as de urgencia e emergencia.OBJETIVO: avaliar o uso da simulacao clinica em Pediatria como estrategia para o aprendizado de alunos do curso de Enfermagem da Faculdade de Ceilândia.METODO: estudo transversal de natureza descritivo, com 47 alunos do curso de enfermagem da Faculdade de Ceilândia. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados foram questionarios relacionados as Diretrizes da American Heart Association (AHA) e a influencia da simulacao clinica no aprendizado do aluno.RESULTADOS: os alunos possuem conhecimento relevante das diretrizes e afirmaram que a simulacao foi produtiva, que deve ser inserida no cronograma do curso e realizada com outros temas.CONCLUSAO: a pesquisa evidenciou o conhecimento acentuado dos graduandos em Enfermagem da UnB/Ceilândia das Diretrizes de RCP da AHA e concluiu que a pratica da simulacao clinica foi benefica para o processo de ensino e aprendizagem.(AU)

Risk of acute kidney injury in hypertensives and diabetics in the primary health care

Objective: to identify the staging of acute kidney injury in diabetic and hypertensive individuals in the primary care through the RIFLE classification. Method: this was a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach developed in a basic health care unit of the Federal District. Clinical data were collected during nursing consultations, and subsequently, from medical records by means of a questionnaire. Data were expressed as absolute (n) and relative frequencies (%). The analysis of variables was performed using the Fishers exact test. P values as <0.05 were considered significant. Results: out of the 79 studied patients, the majority (74.7%) were females at the mean age of 60 ±10 years. Out of the total sample, 5.1% developed renal dysfunction according to the RIFLE classification. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (94.9%). Conclusion: primary care users were at the risk stage according to the RIFLE classification. Descriptors: Hypertension; Diabetes Mellitus; Acute Kidney Injury; Nursing Assessment; Primary Health Care. RESUMO Objetivo: identificar ao estadiar a lesão renal aguda em indivíduos diabéticos e hipertensos na atenção primária por meio da classificação RIFLE. Método: estudo descritivo, exploratório, de abordagem quantitativa, desenvolvido em uma unidade básica de saúde de saúde do Distrito Federal. Os dados clínicos foram coletados durante a consulta de enfermagem e, posteriormente, a partir dos registros de prontuários por meio de um questionário. Os dados foram expressos em frequência absoluta (n) e frequência relativa (%). A análise das variáveis foi feita por meio do teste exato de Fisher. Valores de p < 0,05 foram considerados significativos. Resultados: dos 79 pacientes acompanhados, a maioria (74,7%) foi do sexo feminino, com idade média de 60  10 anos. Do percentual total da amostra, 5,1% evoluíram com disfunção renal de acordo com a RIFLE. A comorbidade mais comum entre os pacientes foi a hipertensão arterial (94,9%). Conclusão: os usuários encontravam-se no estágio de risco de acordo com a classificação RIFLE. Descritores: Hipertensão; Diabetes Mellitus; Lesão Renal Aguda; Avaliação em Enfermagem; Atenção Primária à Saúde. RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar al estudiar la lesión renal aguda en individuos diabéticos e hipertensos en la atención primaria por medio de la clasificación RIFLE. Método: estudio descriptivo, exploratorio, de abordaje cuantitativo, desarrollado en una unidad básica de salud del Distrito Federal. Los datos clínicos fueron recolectados durante la consulta de enfermería y, posteriormente, a partir de los registros de prontuarios por medio de un cuestionario. Los datos se expresan en frecuencia absoluta (n) y frecuencia relativa (%). El análisis de las variables fue hecho por medio del test exacto de Fisher. Valores de p < 0,05 fueron considerados significativos. Resultados: de los 79 pacientes acompañados, la mayoría (74,7%) fue del sexo femenino, con edad media de 60 10 años. Del porcentaje total de la muestra, 5,1% evolucionaron con disfunción renal de acuerdo con la RIFLE. La comorbilidad más común entre los pacientes fue la hipertensión arterial (94,9%). Conclusión: los usuarios se encontraban en estado de riesgo de acuerdo con la clasificación RIFLE. Descriptores: Hipertensión; Diabetes Mellitus; Lesión Renal Aguda; Evaluación en Enfermería; Atención Primaria a la Salud. RN, Santa Luzia Hospital. Brasília (DF), Brazil. E-mail: stanleyjhs@gmail.com; RN Specialist in Intensive Care Unit, Secretary of Health in the Distrito Federal. Brasília (DF), Brazil. E-mail: kamilla_grasielle@hotmail.com; RN, Professor Ph.D., Ceilândia College, University of Brasília. Brasília (DF), Brazil. E-mail: marciamagro@unb.br ORIGINAL ARTICLE Almeida SLM de, Silva KGN da, Magro MCS. Risk of acute kidney injury in hypertensives... English/Portuguese J Nurs UFPE on line., Recife, 10(9):3197-202, Sept., 2016 3198 ISSN: 1981-8963 DOI: 10.5205/reuol.9571-83638-1-SM1009201603 Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a global public health concern associated with high morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Unlike dialysis, there are therapeutic interventions that can reliably improve survival, lesion extension, or the recovery speed in cases of renal function. This pathology is clinically diagnosed and managed through the guidance of a magnitude of alterations in serum creatinine, urine output, or both. In patients who manifest both oliguria and/or azotemia, and those to which these events are persistent, there is increasing propensity to worst outcomes. The consensus definition established for AKI resulted in significant advances in the pathophysiological understanding for the identification of patients and disease prognoses. The AKI diagnosis is performed through surrogate markers of the glomerular filtration rate, such as serum creatinine and urine output, although new biomarkers are used in the clinical practice. Serum creatinine is the most clinically used marker to evaluate renal function, although it is limited and inaccurate in various situations such as in patients with reduced muscle mass or water overload. AKI is associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and need for renal replacement therapy. Until recently, it was believed that the vast majority of patients could recover from AKI without further consequences. It is now recognized that patients with AKI may have different renal outcomes, including complete recovery, chronic, incipient, and progressive kidney disease, and at the end-stage of renal disease. Factors influencing these results have not been fully evaluated, and therefore, are not fully understood. The demographic characteristics of patients, subsequent clinical evolution, and factors associated with treatment can influence global and renal outcomes. Thus, diabetes mellitus and hypertension may be one of those factors. This led us to investigate the percentage of individuals with these conditions, assisted in the primary care, that were evolving to acute kidney injury. This study is justified by the possibility of not only identifying users with acute kidney injury but support the planning and implementation of early preventive measures to prevent the progression of acute kidney injury to a permanent condition. ● To identify the staging of acute renal injury in diabetic and hypertensive patients in the primary care, through the RIFLE classification. This was an exploratory descriptive study with a quantitative approach, developed in a basic health unit of the Federal District. The study was conducted between May of 2013 and 2014. The study included patients aged over 18 years, who were registered in the assistance program for diabetics and hypertensives, and excluded those with previous renal transplant history and chronic renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73m). The study complied with Resolution 466/12 of the National Health Council and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Education and Research Foundation in Health Sciences from SES FEPECS/SES under CAAE 17604713.5.0000.5553. All participants formalized their participation in the study by signing the Voluntary Informed Consent Term. The identification of AKI and staging during the study period was conducted through the use of the RIFLE classification represented by the acronym risk, injury, failure, and defining acute kidney injury by a 50% increase in serum creatinine (Figure 1). METHOD OBJECTIVE INTRODUCTION Almeida SLM de, Silva KGN da, Magro MCS. Risk of acute kidney injury in hypertensives... English/Portuguese J Nurs UFPE on line., Recife, 10(9):3197-202, Sept., 2016 3199 ISSN: 1981-8963 DOI: 10.5205/reuol.9571-83638-1-SM1009201603 Staging Criteria serum creatinine/glomerular filtration (TFG) Criteria urinary output Risk (Risk) creatinine increase to >150-200% of the baseline (1.5 a 2.0 times) or glomerular filtration rate decrease in >25% <0.5 mL/kg/h per 6 hours Injury (Lesion) creatinine increase to >200-300% of the baseline (>2 to 3 times) or glomerular filtration rate decrease in >50% <0.5 mL/kg/h per 12 hours Failure creatinine increase to >300% of the baseline (>3 times) or glomerular filtration rate decrease in >75% <0.3 mL/kg/h per 24 hours or (Failure) anuria per 12 hours Adapted from R. Bellomo, C. Ronco, J. A. Kellum, R. L. Mehta, and P. Palevsky, “Acute renal failure—definition, outcome measures, animal models, fluid therapy and information technology needs: the Second International Consensus Conference of the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) Group,” Critical Care, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. R204–R212, 2004. Figure 1. RIFLE Classification. The staging of renal function was performed by the creatinine criteria despite that the classification encourages the concomitant use of the urinary output criteria. The urinary output criteria was not used in this study because of the limitation to an accurate control of urine volume in patients assisted in the primary care unit. The research was carried out during the nursing consultations conducted by nurses from the hypertension and diabetes program and by the researcher. A questionnaire with questions that characterized the kidney function was adopted. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained primarily from the patients’ electronic medical records. Patients classified in risk stages with lesion or kidney failure by the RIFLE classification were considered with renal dysfunction. Data were expressed as absolute frequency (n) and relative frequency (%). The analysis of categorical variables was performed using the Fishers exact test. P values <0.05 were considered significant. A total of 79 patients registered in the diabetic and hypertensive group were followed in this study. Of these, the majority (74.7%) were females at the mean age of 60±10 years and mean body mass index of 28.1±4.4 kg/m. The RIFLE classification showed that 5.1% developed kidney dysfunc

Lesão renal aguda no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca

Objetivo Identificar a ocorrencia de lesao renal aguda em pos-operatorio de cirurgia cardiaca. Metodos Estudo de coorte prospectivo que incluiu 51 pacientes expostos a cirurgia de revascularizacao do miocardio, troca valvar ou cirurgia combinada (revascularizacao do miocardio e troca valvar), sem antecedentes de doenca renal e de transplante renal e que foram acompanhados desde o pre-operatorio ate 72 horas de pos-operatorio. Foi definido como lesao renal aguda o aumento de 0,3mg/dL em tempo menor ou igual a 48 horas ou aumento de 1,5 a 1,9 vez da creatinina basal, ou ainda reducao do fluxo urinario <0,5mL/kg/h por 6 horas. Foi utilizada a classificacao Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Resultados A classificacao KDIGO sinalizou 92,2% dos pacientes com disfuncao renal. O criterio fluxo urinario dessa classificacao isoladamente mostrou que 31,4% dos pacientes apresentaram disfuncao renal no estagio de risco, 33,3% no estagio de lesao renal, e 21,6% no estagio de falencia renal. Pelo criterio creatinina serica, foram identificados 27,5% no estagio de risco e, nos estagios de lesao e falencia renal, foram identificados 3,9% pacientes em cada. Conclusao Um percentual elevado de pacientes em pos-operatorio de cirurgia cardiaca (revascularizacao miocardica e troca valvar) progrediu com lesao renal aguda.

Ventilação mecânica e a lesão renal aguda em pacientes na unidade de terapia intensiva

Objective To verify the impact of mechanical ventilation use in patients admitted to the intensive care unit and the incidence of acute kidney injury. Methods A prospective, quantitative cohort study of 27 patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support while hospitalized in the intensive care unit of a public hospital. Results The majority (55.6%) of patients were classified according to the kidney injury stages listed in the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage (RIFLE) classification. Of these patients, 45.8% received mechanical ventilation with between 5 and 10 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure and progressed to acute kidney injury. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II (APACHE II) was significantly associated with renal dysfunction (p = 0.046). Conclusion The use of invasive mechanical ventilator support with positive end-expiratory pressure in critically ill patients in intensive care units can impair renal function.