[Acute Kidney Injury - Potentials to Improve AKI-Related Health Care Structure].

Since 2005 the AKI numbers nearly increased threefold. The prevailing health care structure for AKI-management in Germany possesses major potential for improvement. Despite a clear advantage regarding mortality and renal recovery, the cost-intensive CRRT is the predominant procedure in AKI-therapy. Conversion of 85 % of the CRRT-procedures to a dialysis procedure (IHD/SLED) enables annual savings in AKI-therapy by 7.3 million Euros. A reinvestment can finance a strengthened collaboration with licensed nephrologists to improve therapy quality and availability of RRT-units in local hospitals. The the long term aim is the establishment of national therapy guidelines. Lower consequential costs are crucial incentives.