Insuficiencia renal aguda

Abstract

Acute kidney failure (AKF) is a syndrome that is characterised by an abrupt fall in kidney function which establishes in a period of hours or days and leads to the retention of nitrogenized products, deregulation of the internal medium and electrolytic imbalance. It may be due to pre-renal causes or low kidney perfusion, parenchymal problems or intrinsic organ damage, obstructive problems or alteration in the urethra. Diagnosis is based on an appropriate clinical history, physical examination and the correct interpretation of complementary tests. It is associated with a high level of morbimortality in the acute phase as well as over the long term. It is important to identify patients who are at risk of suffering acute kidney failure, to prevent precipitating factors. Several kidney deterioration biomarkers are currently being studied. After a correct differential diagnosis it will be possible to tackle and treat the specific cause. If medical treatment fails or in severe cases then extracorporeal renal filtration techniques will be used.