Interpretable Machine Learning Model for Early Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients with Cirrhosis: A Retrospective Study

TL;DR

This study developed an interpretable machine learning model using routine clinical data to accurately predict early acute kidney injury in critically ill cirrhotic patients, aiding timely intervention and improving outcomes.

Contribution

It introduces a LightGBM-based predictive model that is both accurate and interpretable, tailored specifically for ICU patients with cirrhosis, filling a gap in existing AKI prediction tools.

Findings

LightGBM achieved AUROC 0.808 in AKI prediction.

Key predictors aligned with known cirrhosis-AKI mechanisms.

High negative predictive value supports safe patient de-escalation.

Abstract

Background: Cirrhosis is a progressive liver disease with high mortality and frequent complications, notably acute kidney injury (AKI), which occurs in up to 50% of hospitalized patients and worsens outcomes. AKI stems from complex hemodynamic, inflammatory, and metabolic changes, making early detection essential. Many predictive tools lack accuracy, interpretability, and alignment with intensive care unit (ICU) workflows. This study developed an interpretable machine learning model for early AKI prediction in critically ill patients with cirrhosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the MIMIC-IV v2.2 database, identifying 1240 adult ICU patients with cirrhosis and excluding those with ICU stays under 48 hours or missing key data. Laboratory and physiological variables from the first 48 hours were extracted. The pipeline included preprocessing, missingness filtering, LASSO feature selection, and SMOTE class balancing. Six algorithms-LightGBM, CatBoost, XGBoost, logistic regression, naive Bayes, and neural networks-were trained and evaluated using AUROC, accuracy, F1-score, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Results: LightGBM achieved the best performance (AUROC 0.808, 95% CI 0.741-0.856; accuracy 0.704; NPV 0.911). Key predictors included prolonged partial thromboplastin time, absence of outside-facility 20G placement, low pH, and altered pO2, consistent with known cirrhosis-AKI mechanisms and suggesting actionable targets. Conclusion: The LightGBM-based model enables accurate early AKI risk stratification in ICU patients with cirrhosis using routine clinical variables. Its high negative predictive value supports safe de-escalation for low-risk patients, and interpretability fosters clinician trust and targeted prevention. External validation and integration into electronic health record systems are warranted.