title: Renal function and dysfunction.
abstract: Recent publications regarding perioperative renal dysfunction provide a 'potpourri' of topics worthy of discussion. The risk of perioperative renal dysfunction is higher in patients with heart failure, but other pre-existing conditions, such as genetic polymorphism, may have prognostic implications. Evaluation of renal risk and protective interventions are discussed for a number of specific operative entities, including cardiac surgery (with or without cardiopulmonary bypass), aortic surgery and renal revascularization. New publications on a wide variety of nephrotoxic insults are presented, including antifibrinolytic agents, obstructive jaundice, prostaglandin inhibitors, cyclosporine A, radiocontrast dyes and volatile anesthetic agents. Renal transplantation is discussed as a specific entity. Finally, we discuss recent papers describing outcome in patients in chronic renal failure undergoing cardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byers
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sladen