Acute Renal Failure
Cause
A number of serious conditions or diseases can cause the kidneys to stop working properly. You may develop acute renal failure if:
- You have lost a lot of blood. This can occur because of a serious injury or major surgery.
- You become severely dehydrated because of vomiting or overuse of diuretics.
- You have a serious heart problem, such as heart failure, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia), high blood pressure, endocarditis, heart valve disease, or cardiac tamponade.
- You have a disease that causes kidney or liver damage, such as nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis, lupus, or another disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis).
- You have another serious condition, such as severe malnutrition, burns, a severe or crushing injury, or severe infection (sepsis).
- You have used medicines that can affect the kidneys, including antibiotics such as gentamicin and streptomycin, ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure, anti-inflammatory drugs such as ASA and ibuprofen, or the dyes (contrast agents) used in certain X-ray tests.
- You have a sudden blockage that prevents urine from flowing out of the kidneys. Kidney stones
, a tumour, an injury, or an enlarged prostate gland can cause a blockage.
The three main types of acute renal failure are:
- Prerenal acute renal failure, which is caused by a sudden serious drop in blood flow to the kidneys.
- Intrinsic acute renal failure, which is the result of damage to the kidneys.
- Post-renal acute renal failure, which is caused by a sudden blockage that prevents urine from flowing out of the kidneys.
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: July 31, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine D.C. Mendelssohn, MD, FRCPC - Nephrology Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine | |
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