Acute kidney failure

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Kidney anatomy

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Acute kidney failure

Alternative Names:

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

Symptoms:

decreased urine output
- decreased urine volume (oliguria)
- no urine output (anuria)
urination, excessive at night (can occur in some types of renal failure)
ankle, feet, and leg swelling
generalized swelling, fluid retention
decrease in sensation, especially the hands or feet
changes in mental status or mood
- agitation
- drowsiness, lethargy
- delirium or confusion
- coma
- fluctuating mood
- difficulty paying attention (attention deficit)
- hallucinations
slow, sluggish, movements
seizures
hand tremor
nausea, vomiting
- may persist for days
- morning sickness
- vomiting blood
prolonged bleeding, bruising easily
- stools, bloody
- nosebleed
- growth, slow (child 0-5 years)
flank pain
fatigue
ear noise/buzzing
breath odor
breast development in males
blood pressure, high

Signs and tests:

Examination and testing can reveal acute renal failure and help rule out other disorders that affect kidney function. In this condition, there is generalized swelling caused by fluid retention. With a stethoscope, a heart murmur or other sounds related to increased fluid volume may be heard and crackles may be heard from the lungs.

Lab values may change suddenly (within a few days to 2 weeks):

Urinalysis may be abnormal.
Serum creatinine may increase by 2 mg/dL or more over a 2-week period.
Creatinine clearance may be decreased.
BUN may increase suddenly.
Serum potassium levels may be increased.
Arterial blood gas and blood chemistries may show metabolic acidosis.
Kidney or abdominal ultrasound is usually the best test, but abdominal X-ray, abdominal CT scan or abdominal MRI may also reveal the cause of acute renal failure. Kidney size is usually normal or slightly large.
Chemical tests of blood and urine may also help to distinguish the causes. A clean catch urine specimen will indicate if the cause is infection within the urinary tract. Renal angiography (renal arteriography) may be used to diagnose causes within the blood vessels of the kidney.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

Review Date: 10/31/2002
Reviewed By: Steven Angelo, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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