Acute kidney failure - Overview
Alternative Names
Kidney failure; Renal failure; Renal failure - acute; ARF; Kidney injury - acute
Definition of Acute kidney failure:
Acute (sudden) kidney failure is the sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
There are many possible causes of kidney damage. They include:
- Acute tubular necrosis (ATN)
- Autoimmune kidney disease, including:
- Decreased blood flow due to very low blood pressure, which can result from:
- Disorders that cause clotting within the kidney's blood vessels:
- Infections that directly injury the kidney such as:
- Pregnancy complications, including:
- Urinary tract obstruction
- Reviewed last on: 7/11/2008
- Parul Patel, MD, Private Practice specializing in Nephrology and Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, Affiliated with California Pacific Medical Center, Department of Transplantation, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
References
Clarkson MR, Friedewald JJ, Eustace JA, Rabb H. Acute Kidney Injury. In: Brenner BM, ed. Brenner: Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap. 29.
