title: [Acute or rapidly progressive renal failure in elderly patients].
abstract: Elderly patients are at increased risk to develop an acute or rapidly progressive renal failure. The acute renal injury (ARF) is mainly a problem of in-patients whereas out-patients often present with rapidly progressive kidney failure. The main cause for ARF is acute tubular necrosis, which has to be distinguished from prerenal or postrenal causes. The differential diagnosis of a rapid decline includes crescentic glomerulonephritis and acute interstitial nephritis. Diagnostic approaches and additional causes of renal failure in the elderly population are discussed in the article.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Nephrologie und Institut für Physiologie, Universitätsspital Zürich. clemens.cohen@usz.ch
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D019867:Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D056648:Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D007683:Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis