Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure is characterized by a deterioration of renal function over a period of hours to days, resulting in the failure of the kidney to excrete nitrogenous waste products and to maintain fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. In the past five decades, several important causes of acute renal failure and the pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie renal dysfunction have come to be understood. In this article we highlight the epidemiology, general causes, and evaluation of acute renal failure in adults. We then expand on the pathophysiology of ischemic acute renal failure and discuss the rationale for both current and future therapies. . . .