What to Expect When Dealing With Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure is also known as acute kidney failure. This is a condition that occurs suddenly, as opposed to kidney disease, which may gradually develop. Your kidneys perform an essential bodily function. They remove waste from your bloodstream, as well as excess fluid. If your kidneys are unable to perform their function, these waste products will build up in your bloodstream and could reach dangerous levels.

Identification

• Acute renal failure may occur due to a severe injury, following a difficult surgery or when your kidneys do not receive adequate amounts of blood.

Significance

• Acute renal failure is a serious medical condition. However, as opposed to chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure can be reversed, especially if you are in good overall health.

Initial Treatment

• To treat your kidney failure, your doctor must first treat the medical condition that caused it. Your doctor may need to run additional diagnostic tests to determine the underlying illness or injury.

Solution

• While your kidneys heal, you will likely need to undergo dialysis. This is a process of artificial blood filtering; a machine performs the duties that your kidneys normally would. Expect to stay at the hospital for this procedure while you recover.

Warning

• While acute renal failure may be reversed, not all patients will recover complete function of their kidneys. Some patients may need permanent dialysis. If the injury to the kidneys is severe, some patients may not survive.