Abstract:Objective To analyze the value of arterial and venous blood gas parameters during cardiopulmonary bypass in evaluating postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) in infants.Methods A total of 108 infants who underwent cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass in our hospital between June 2022 and June 2024 were selected as the subjects. Arterial and venous blood gas analyses were performed. After surgery, the children were divided into the PO-AKI group and the non-PO-AKI group based on the modified risk classification criteria for pediatric kidney diseases. Relevant clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared, and the value of arterial and venous blood gas parameters in evaluating PO-AKI was analyzed.Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of sex distribution, age, body weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction, preoperative hemoglobin level, proportion of pulmonary hypertension, or the lowest hemoglobin level during cardiopulmonary bypass (P > 0.05). The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time were longer in the PO-AKI group than in the non-PO-AKI group (P < 0.05). At 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping, the venous-arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure difference (Pv-aCO2) and the ratio of Pv-aCO2 to the arteriovenous oxygen difference (Ca-vO2) were significantly higher in the PO-AKI group compared with the non-PO-AKI group (P < 0.05). Similarly, at 45 minutes after aortic cross-clamping, both Pv-aCO2 and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 were higher in the PO-AKI group (P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that higher Pv-aCO2 at 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping [O^R = 2.447 (95% CI: 1.176, 5.094) ], higher Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 at 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping [O^R = 2.627 (95% CI: 1.239, 5.566) ], higher Pv-aCO2 level at 45 minutes [O^R = 2.394 (95% CI: 1.102, 5.203) ], and higher Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio at 45 minutes [O^R = 2.790 (95% CI: 1.254, 6.207) ] were all independent risk factors for postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) in children after cardiac surgery (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of Pv-aCO2 at 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 85.71% (95% CI: 0.791, 0.923) and 43.68% (95% CI: 0.343, 0.530), respectively; those of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 at 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 76.19% (95% CI: 0.682, 0.842) and 74.71% (95% CI: 0.665, 0.829); those of Pv-aCO2 at 45 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 85.71% (95% CI: 0.791, 0.923) and 58.62% (95% CI: 0.493, 0.679); and those of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 at 45 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 57.14% (95% CI: 0.478, 0.665) and 94.25% (95% CI: 0.899, 0.986). Combined evaluation yielded a sensitivity of 80.95% (95% CI: 0.735, 0.884) and specificity of 87.36% (95% CI: 0.811, 0.936). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for Pv-aCO2 and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 at 30 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 0.637 (95% CI: 0.592, 0.774) and 0.817 (95% CI: 0.713, 0.885); those at 45 minutes after aortic cross-clamping were 0.724 (95% CI: 0.629, 0.805) and 0.765 (95% CI: 0.673, 0.841), respectively. The combined evaluation achieved the highest AUC of 0.915 (95% CI: 0.845, 0.960), outperforming each single indicator.Conclusion Pv-aCO2 and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 are increased during cardiopulmonary bypass in infants with PO-AKI. Both parameters are significant risk factors for PO-AKI, and their combined assessment provides the highest predictive value for evaluating PO-AKI in infants undergoing cardiac surgery.