Prerenal Causes of Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure (ARF), also known as acute kidney failure, is a medical condition that is characterized by rapid loss in the capacity of the kidneys to perform their main function, which is to eliminate all the nitrogenous wastes from the body and thus maintain the electrolytic balance of the blood in the body. Due to the kidneys' loss of functionality, all the toxic nitrogenous wastes get accumulated in the body, leading to various health problems such as acidification of the blood and imbalances in the electrolyte balance, among others.

Causes Leading to ARF

• The factors or causes that lead to the development of acute renal failure are classified into three major categories, namely: prerenal causes, renal or intrinsic causes and post-renal causes.
  Prerenal causes are defined as those factors that obstruct and reduce the blood flow to the kidneys, hence causing loss of functioning of the kidneys and thus ARF. On the other hand renal or intrinsic conditions are those factors that directly damage the structure of the kidneys and hence cause ARF.
  Post-renal factors are those conditions that obstruct the pathway through which urine and other nitrogenous wastes are eliminated out of the body. If it is left untreated for a long period of time, it can lead to acute renal failure.
  Out of the three, prerenal factors are the most common cause of ARF.

Atherosclerosis

• One of the most common prerenal causes leading to the development ARF is atherosclerosis, which is a medical condition characterized by hardening of the arteries due to deposition of fatty substances on the linings of the arteries. This hardening of the arteries reduces the flow of blood to various organs of the body including the kidneys, thus increasing the chances of developing acute kidney failure.

Poor Functioning of the Heart

• Various heart problems, such as blocked arteries in the heart, heart attack and congestive heart failure among others are also prime causes leading to ARF in individuals. These heart conditions significantly reduce the pumping effect of the heart and as a result the volume of blood flowing to various organs including the kidneys declines, potentially leading to ARF.

Low Blood Pressure

• According to the Mayo Clinic, it has been found that infections such as sepsis, shock, and trauma among others often lead to a drastic drop in the blood pressure of an individual, which reduces the volume of blood reaching the kidneys, causing acute renal failure.

Other Common Prerenal Causes Leading to ARF

• Various other factors such as severe dehydration, chronic lung problems and blood loss among others are considered to be prime prerenal factors that lead to acute renal failure in individuals.