title: Renal failure: emergency evaluation and management.
abstract: Patients with altered renal function are frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED) and emergency physicians often play an important role in the evaluation and management of renal disease. Early recognition, diagnosis, prevention of further iatrogenic injury, and management of renal disease have important implications for long-term morbidity and mortality. This article reviews basic renal physiology, discusses the differential diagnosis and approach to therapy, as well as strategies to prevent further renal injury, for adult patients who present to the ED with renal injury or failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA. kbh101@gunet.georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Korin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinert
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003950:Diagnostic Techniques, Urological; D018450:Disease Progression; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index