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Acute kidney failure

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Acute (sudden) kidney failure is the sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes .

Alternative Names:

Kidney failure; Renal failure; Renal failure - acute; ARF

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

There are many possible causes of kidney damage. They include:

• Decreased blood flow, which may occur with extremely low blood pressure caused by trauma, surgery, serious illnesses, 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
  • Idiopathic thrombocytopenic thrombotic purpura (ITTP)
  • Transfusion reaction
  • Malignant hypertension
  • Scleroderma,
  • Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
  • Disorders of childbirth, such as bleeding placenta abruptio or placenta previa

• Review Date: 8/3/2006
• Reviewed By: David M. Charytan, M.D., M.Sc., Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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