title: Acute renal failure in the tropics: emerging trends from a tertiary care hospital in South India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study epidemiology, laboratory parameters, outcome and factors determining outcome of patients presenting with acute renal failure in our hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study between December 1997-December 1999 in which all patients presenting with acute renal failure were included. Demographics, laboratory parameters, etiology, outcome and prognostic factors determining outcome were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  642 patients were part of the study. The predominant underlying cause for ARF was sepsis (153/642); overall mortality was 26.5%. Patients who had sepsis were admitted in the ICU, and patients with oliguria had poorer outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sepsis continues to be the predominant cause of ARF. Overall mortality of our patients is better, because of the case mix, a large percentage of patients had acute gastroenteritis as a cause of CRF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Anandh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Renuka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somiah
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies