Acute kidney failure

Diagnosis

The medical professional may advise specific tests and procedures to confirm the diagnosis if the patient are already experiencing signs and symptoms of acute renal failure. These may consist of:

• Urine output measurements: The medical professional may be able to identify the reason of the kidney failure by measuring how much the patient urinate in a 24-hour period.
• Urine tests: Urinalysis, a procedure in which the urine sample is examined to discover possible abnormalities related to kidney disease.
• Blood tests: The blood sample may show accelerating levels of urea and creatinine, two markers of renal function. Rising levels of these substances means that the kidneys are not functioning effectively.
• Imaging tests: The medical professional may use imaging tests like ultrasound and computerized tomography (CT) scan to provide them with a better visual image on the health of the kidneys.
• Kidney biopsy: Medical professional may occasionally advise a kidney biopsy to take a tiny sample of kidney tissue for laboratory analysis. To take the sample, doctor uses a needle to penetrate the skin and enter the kidney. This procedure is recommended if the cause of kidney failure is difficult to determine.

Treatment

Treatment for acute kidney failure usually involves inpatient care or hospitalization. The cause of the acute renal failure and the speed at which the kidneys recover will determine the length of stay in the hospital.

In some cases, recovery can be done at home. Medical professional will orient the patient and the family with the necessary support care while on home recovery.

Treating the cause of the kidney injury

Treatment for acute kidney failure requires determining the illness that initially caused the kidney damage. The cause of the renal failure also determines the kind of treatment that you must undergo.

Treating complications

For a continuous recovery, medical professional will regularly monitor you to prevent any complications. The kidneys should heal at its own pace. Several treatments are also necessary to support its recovery, this includes:

• Treatments to balance the amount of fluids in the blood:  medical professional could advise intravenous (IV) fluids if the acute kidney failure is brought on by a deficiency of fluid in the blood. In some instances, acute renal failure might result in having too much fluid, which will cause the arms and legs to bulge. Medical professional may prescribe drugs (diuretics) in certain circumstances to encourage the body to flush out extra fluids.
• Treatments to control blood potassium:  Medical professional may advise calcium, glucose, or sodium polystyrene sulfonate to avoid the buildup of high levels of potassium in the blood if the kidneys are not effectively filtering potassium. Muscle weakness and arrhythmias can both result from an excess of potassium in the blood.
• Treatments to restore blood calcium levels: Medical professional might advise a calcium infusion if the calcium levels in the blood become too low.
• Dialysis to remove toxins from your blood: If toxins accumulate in the blood, they could require short-term hemodialysis, often known as dialysis, to assist the body get rid of toxins and extra fluids while the kidneys recover. The body may be able to lose extra potassium with the aid of dialysis. A machine that filters waste product through an artificial kidney (dialyzer) which will pump blood out of the body during dialysis. Then the body receives the blood back. Basically, this treatment does what the kidneys can no longer do.