Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as an abrupt decline in kidney function. Although the kidney has many functions, this "abrupt decline" mostly refers to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that cannot be measured in real time. Current definitions/classifications of AKI are based on changes in serum creatinine (Screat) and urine output (UO) as surrogates for GFR and allow a common language in research and clinical practice. However, they still have several shortcomings.

AKI is a complex syndrome and no single definition will be perfect. The current definition relies on changes in Screat and UO that are universally available and inexpensive and will continue to be the most commonly used markers.

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