Acute Kidney Injury
Acute kidney injury (or acute renal failure) refers to kidney damage that happens suddenly. This can occur in the hospital or in the outpatient setting.
Causes
Acute Kidney Injury can be caused by dehydration, medications, congestive heart failure, muscle breakdown due to aggressive exercise, radiology procedures that use intravenous contrast, or other illnesses.
Symptoms
Symptoms for acute kidney injury can range from none to symptoms of total kidney failure depending on the severity of the injury and the cause.
Treatment
Treatment for acute kidney injury involves identifying the illness or injury that originally damaged your kidneys. Your treatment options depend on the cause and the severity of the damage. Preventing complications of acute kidney injury is conisdered one of the main goals of treatment.
Treatment typically requires hospital stay, but in some cases can be done at home.
To Learn more about kidney disease, so you can feel more in charge of your health and thrive, you can take a Kidney Care Education Class. The class covers:
- Symptoms and stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Eating well with kidney disease
- Coping and getting support
Other Educational Resources:
National Kidney Disease Education Program