It is the sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes.
Alternative NamesKidney failure, acute kidney failure, kidney failure, kidney failure
Causes and Risk FactorsThere are many possible causes of kidney damage, such as:
Symptoms
Signs and tests
The exams and tests can help diagnose acute kidney failure and rule out other problems that can affect kidney function.
Many patients have generalized swelling caused by fluid retention. The doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs. During this procedure, you can hear a heart murmur, crackles in the lungs, inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis), or other sounds related to the presence of extra fluid.
The results of laboratory tests may change suddenly (within a few days to 2 weeks):
Treatment
Once you have found the cause, the goal of treatment is to restore kidney function and prevent fluid and waste accumulate in the body while the kidneys heal. Generally, patients have to stay overnight in the hospital for treatment.
The amount of liquid that you take (such as soup) or drink will be limited to the amount of urine you can produce. You will be told what can and can not eat in order to reduce the accumulation of toxins normally handled by the kidneys. This diet can be rich in carbohydrates and low in protein, salt and potassium.
You may need antibiotics to treat or prevent infection and can be tested with diuretics to help the kidneys lose fluid.
It will be very important to avoid dangerous hyperkalemia (increased potassium levels in the blood) using calcium IV (intravenous), glucose / insulin or potassium exchange resin (Kayexalate).
Dialysis may be necessary and may make the person feel better. However, it is not always necessary but can save your life if serum potassium is dangerously high. Dialysis is also used if the person's mental status changes, your potassium level starts to rise, you stop urinating, develop pericarditis, fluid overload or it can not eliminate nitrogen waste from the body.Support Groups
The stress of illness can often be eased by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems. View support group for kidney disease. The local hospital or dialysis center can probably specializes in providing information about local support groups.Expectations (prognosis)
Although acute renal failure is life threatening and may require intensive treatment, the kidneys usually start working again within a period of several weeks to months after the underlying cause treated.
In cases where this does not happen, has chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease. Death can occur, but is most common when kidney failure is caused by surgery, trauma or severe infection in someone with heart disease, lung disease or recent stroke. Old age, infection, blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract and the progression of kidney failure also increase the risk of death.
Complications
Calling your health care
Call your health care provider if absent or decreased urine output, or if you have other symptoms of acute renal failure.
PreventionThe treatment of disorders such as high blood pressure can help prevent acute renal failure. However, unfortunately, the prevention is not always possible.
source: clinicadam.com
READ MORE - Acute renal failure
Alternative NamesKidney failure, acute kidney failure, kidney failure, kidney failure
Causes and Risk FactorsThere are many possible causes of kidney damage, such as:
- Decreased blood flow can occur with extremely low blood pressure caused by trauma, surgery, serious illness, septic shock, hemorrhage, burns or dehydration.
- Acute tubular necrosis (ATN)
- Infections that directly injury the kidney such as acute pyelonephritis or septicemia.
- Urinary tract obstruction (obstructive uropathy).
- Autoimmune kidney disease such as interstitial nephritis or acute nephritic syndrome.
- Disorders that cause clotting within the thin blood vessels of the kidney, as
- idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- transfusion reaction
- malignant hypertension
- Scleroderma
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome
- disorders resulting from childbirth as bleeding, placental abruption or placenta previa
Symptoms
- Decreased urine output (oliguria)
- No urine output (anuria)
- Excessive nighttime urination
- Swollen ankles, feet and legs
- Generalized swelling from fluid retention
- Decreased sensation, especially in the hands or feet
- Loss of appetite
- Metallic taste in mouth
- Persistent hiccups
- Changes in mental status or mood
- agitation
- sleepiness
- lethargy
- delirium or confusion
- coma
- fluctuating mood
- difficulty paying attention
- hallucinations
- Slow, sluggish movement
- Seizures
- Hand tremor
- Nausea or vomiting that can last for days
- Tendency to bruising
- Prolonged bleeding
- Nosebleed
- Bloody
- Flank pain
- Fatigue
- Bad breath
- High blood pressure
Signs and tests
The exams and tests can help diagnose acute kidney failure and rule out other problems that can affect kidney function.
Many patients have generalized swelling caused by fluid retention. The doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs. During this procedure, you can hear a heart murmur, crackles in the lungs, inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis), or other sounds related to the presence of extra fluid.
The results of laboratory tests may change suddenly (within a few days to 2 weeks):
- Urine tests (urine analysis) may be abnormal
- The levels of serum creatinine, urea, ability to creatinine clearance and serum potassium may increase
- Arterial blood gas and blood chemistry analysis may show metabolic acidosis
- The tests are preferred Kidney or abdominal ultrasound, but abdominal radiography, abdominal computed tomography scan or abdominal MRI can tell if there is a blockage in the urinary tract.
- Blood tests may help reveal the underlying causes of kidney failure.
Treatment
Once you have found the cause, the goal of treatment is to restore kidney function and prevent fluid and waste accumulate in the body while the kidneys heal. Generally, patients have to stay overnight in the hospital for treatment.
The amount of liquid that you take (such as soup) or drink will be limited to the amount of urine you can produce. You will be told what can and can not eat in order to reduce the accumulation of toxins normally handled by the kidneys. This diet can be rich in carbohydrates and low in protein, salt and potassium.
You may need antibiotics to treat or prevent infection and can be tested with diuretics to help the kidneys lose fluid.
It will be very important to avoid dangerous hyperkalemia (increased potassium levels in the blood) using calcium IV (intravenous), glucose / insulin or potassium exchange resin (Kayexalate).
Dialysis may be necessary and may make the person feel better. However, it is not always necessary but can save your life if serum potassium is dangerously high. Dialysis is also used if the person's mental status changes, your potassium level starts to rise, you stop urinating, develop pericarditis, fluid overload or it can not eliminate nitrogen waste from the body.Support Groups
The stress of illness can often be eased by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems. View support group for kidney disease. The local hospital or dialysis center can probably specializes in providing information about local support groups.Expectations (prognosis)
Although acute renal failure is life threatening and may require intensive treatment, the kidneys usually start working again within a period of several weeks to months after the underlying cause treated.
In cases where this does not happen, has chronic renal failure or end-stage renal disease. Death can occur, but is most common when kidney failure is caused by surgery, trauma or severe infection in someone with heart disease, lung disease or recent stroke. Old age, infection, blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract and the progression of kidney failure also increase the risk of death.
Complications
- Bleeding in the intestines
- Chronic renal failure (long)
- End-stage renal disease
- Damage to the heart or nervous system
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Calling your health care
Call your health care provider if absent or decreased urine output, or if you have other symptoms of acute renal failure.
PreventionThe treatment of disorders such as high blood pressure can help prevent acute renal failure. However, unfortunately, the prevention is not always possible.
source: clinicadam.com
