title: Acute renal failure in the surgical patient: initial diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Three categories of acute renal failure have been identified: prerenal, postrenal, and renal. Prerenal failure results from decreased perfusion of the kidney and postrenal failure from obstruction distal to the nephron; renal failure, in the surgical setting, usually represents acute tubular necrosis. A rational approach to the diagnosis of acute renal failure is outlined, and the treatment of acute tubular necrosis is discussed. High-risk factors are identified, and the importance of maintaining intravascular volume to prevent acute renal failure is stressed, since the mortality rate may approach 50% in patients in whom this perioperative complication develops.
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D007683:Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis; D012079:Renal Circulation