title: Acute renal failure: definitions, diagnosis, pathogenesis, and therapy.
abstract: Acute renal failure (ARF), characterized by sudden loss of the ability of the kidneys to excrete wastes, concentrate urine, conserve electrolytes, and maintain fluid balance, is a frequent clinical problem, particularly in the intensive care unit, where it is associated with a mortality of between 50% and 80%. In this review, the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ARF are discussed, including the vascular, tubular, and inflammatory perturbations. The clinical evaluation of ARF and implications for potential future therapies to decrease the high mortality are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. robert.schrier@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Schrier
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitra
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000002:abnormalities; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy