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ACUTE KIDNEY FAILURE
Acute
kidney failure is defined as a significant decline in kidney
excretory function occurring over hours or days.
Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys partly or completely
lose their ability to carry out normal functions.
This is
usually detected clinically by a rise in the plasma
concentration of urea or creatinine. Oliguria, defined as a
urinary volume of less than 400 ml/day, is usually present, but
not always.
Acute kidney failure usually develops in response to a
disorder that directly affects the kidney, its blood supply, or
urine flow from it.
Acute
kidney failure may arise as an isolated problem, but much more
commonly occurs in the setting of circulatory disturbance
associated with severe illness, trauma, or surgery; transient
renal dysfunction complicates some 5 per cent of medical and
surgical admissions.
Acute kidney failure usually does not cause permanent damage the
kidneys. With appropriate treatment of the underlying condition,
it is often reversible, with complete recovery. But it must be
considered that in some cases, though, it may progress to
chronic kidney disease.
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