Acute Renal Failure

What is Acute Renal Failure?

Acute renal failure, also called acute kidney failure, happens when the patient's kidney loses its ability to filter waste. Waste starts accumulating in the kidneys which disturbs the chemical makeup of the patient's blood. The condition requires intensive care and treatment.

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute renal failure:

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Chest pain
  • Drowsiness
  • Decreased urine output

Causes

Causes of acute renal failure are:

  • Infection
  • Liver failure
  • Bladder cancer
  • Enlarged prostate
  • Blood clot
  • Dehydration

Risks

Risk of Acute Renal Failure include

  • Diabetes
  • Old age
  • Blockage in blood vessels
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart failure

Prevention

Prevention methods of acute renal failure include:

  • Adequate hydration
  • Minimizing nephrotoxin pressure
  • Controlled blood sugar level
  • Maintenance of mean arterial pressure

How is it diagnosed?

Doctor may conduct the following test to confirm acute renal failure:

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How is it treated?

The treatment of acute kidney failure depends on the cause of renal failure. The specialist identifies the origin and proceeds with the treatment accordingly.

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  • Medications

    • To control blood potassium: The specialist may prescribe calcium, sodium polystyrene sulfonate and glucose to prevent the build-up of potassium in the patient blood. High level of potassium in the blood can cause muscle weakness and arrhythmias.
    • To Restore Blood Calcium: The specialist may prescribe calcium medication to increase the calcium level in the patient's blood.

  • Dialysis

    The specialist removes the excess fluids and toxins from the patient's body which helps to balance the amount of fluids in the blood. An artificial kidney is used to pump out blood from the body and filter out waste from the blood and pump it back to the patient's body.

When do I contact the doctor?

In case you observe any signs and side effects of acute renal failure, look for immediate medical care.

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How does Medanta provide care?

Medanta Institute of Critical Care and Anaesthesiology constitutes a devoted team of critical care doctors who deal with the most seriously ill patients. The facility is equipped with state of the art technology and has a capacity of 300 ICU beds...

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