BMJ  2006;333:786-790 (14 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.38975.657639.AE

Clinical review

Acute renal failure

¹ Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Acute renal failure is characterised by a rapid fall in glomerular filtration rate, clinically manifest as an abrupt and sustained rise in urea and creatinine. Life threatening consequences include volume overload, hyperkalaemia, and metabolic acidosis. Acute renal failure is both common and costly and carries a high morbidity and mortality. As it is often preventable, identification of patients at risk and institution of appropriate preventive measures are crucial. In incipient or established acute renal failure rapid recognition and treatment may prevent irreversible loss of nephrons.

In most cases of acute renal failure initial management is by non-specialist clinicians, often comparatively junior ones. All clinicians should therefore be able to recognise the symptoms and signs of acute renal failure, request and interpret initial investigations, initiate appropriate treatment, and know when, and how urgently, to consult a more experienced colleague or specialist. This review highlights the common causes of acute renal failure, . . . [Full text of this article]

Who gets acute renal failure?

What causes acute renal failure?

Can acute renal failure be prevented?

How do I assess a patient with acute renal failure?

What investigations are most useful in acute renal failure?

How do I manage a patient with acute renal failure?

When do I need to speak to a nephrologist?

Conclusions

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