Get expert care for children with sudden, serious kidney problems from a team families and hospitals trust.
When your child is critically ill, kidney problems can feel sudden and overwhelming. Families often face fear, confusion and urgent decisions.
At the Center for Acute Care Nephrology (CACN), our team provides fast, expert care for children with acute kidney injury and other life-threatening conditions. We work side by side with critical care teams to support your child and guide your family with clarity and compassion.
Cincinnati Children’s is a recognized leader in pediatric acute care nephrology. The Center for Acute Care Nephrology is the only program in the world designed to collaborate with every area of pediatric critical care to identify and treat acute kidney injury.
Our experts lead and coordinate multi-national research studies and global education programs, serving as a worldwide hub for setting standards in acute care nephrology. Families benefit from care shaped by research, shared expertise and leadership that influences practice across the U.S. and beyond.
Our center provides some of the most advanced kidney support therapies available for children, including continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), acute peritoneal dialysis, aquapheresis and a full range of therapeutic apheresis services.
We are often the first pediatric center to evaluate and use new extracorporeal devices for kidney and liver support. Innovative therapies are often tested here first, giving families access to treatments that may not be available anywhere else.
We provide team-based care by working closely with intensive care doctors, surgeons and specialists across Cincinnati Children’s including the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, the Heart Institute and Critical Care Medicine.
This approach ensures your child receives one clear plan, shared by every expert involved, during critical moments.
Acute kidney injury is the most common condition treated by our center. Our team is dedicated to improving how AKI is recognized, treated and supported during critical illness.
By partnering with intensive care teams from the earliest signs of kidney stress, we help guide timely treatment decisions that can protect kidney function and support recovery when it matters most.
Most patients are referred from within Cincinnati Children’s during urgent hospital stays. When families come from outside the region, we carefully review each case.
Our team works closely with families and referring providers to review records, offer expert second opinions and determine if care here is the right next step. We only recommend transfer when we believe our care can truly improve your child’s outcome. This thoughtful approach builds trust and keeps families at the center of every decision.
3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
© 1999-2025 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. All rights reserved.
