The management of acute renal failure

Slack, Andrew; Ho, Serene; Forni, Lui G.

doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2007.05.015

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Volume 35, Issue 8 , Pages 434-437, August 2007

The management of acute renal failure

Andrew Slack MBBS BSc MRCP is a Specialist Registrar in Renal and Intensive Care Medicine at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals Trust, Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Competing interests: none declared

Serene Ho MBBS BSc MRCP is a Senior House Officer in Renal and General Medicine at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals Trust, Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Competing interests: none declared

Lui G Forni MBBS BSc PhD MRCPI is Consultant Physician and Intensivist at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals Trust, Worthing, West Sussex, UK, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK. Competing interests: none declared

Abstract

Acute renal failure is a commonly encountered condition in the hospital setting. In many cases accurate history-taking, careful examination of the patient and meticulous monitoring of volume balance may reverse this process. However, acute renal failure presents a unique set of metabolic derangements which, if untreated, will result in death. We outline the initial management of acute renal failure as well as the specific treatments that may be required. Some consideration is also given to the use of renal replacement therapies.

Keywords: acute renal failure, glomerular filtration rate, haemofiltration, hyperkalaemia, metabolic acidosis, uraemic encephalopathy, uraemic pericarditis