title: The course and outcome of renal failure due to human leptospirosis referred to a hospital in North of Iran; A follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal complication of leptospirosis is common and its clinical manifestations vary from urinary sediment changes to acute renal failure. The aim of this study was to determine the final outcome of renal involvement in leptospirosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This longitudinal prospective study included all serologically confirmed cases of leptospirosis with evidence of renal failure. All patients were followed for three months while all patients with renal failure were followed-up for one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one patients, 53.5±14.8 years (82.4% males) with acute renal failure were studied. Over the hospitalization period, 28 patients recovered, and seven (13.72%) patients died of multiple organ failure. At the time of discharge, 16 patients had mild renal failure. Over the follow-up period, all patients recovered but in two patients renal failure persisted at creatinine level of 1.5 mg/dl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Development of renal failure in leptospirosis is not rare. Recovery of renal function may last several months. However, most patients recover completely at least after one year.
authors.affiliation: Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghasemian
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shokri
authors.affiliation: Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Atieh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makhlough
authors.affiliation: Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Amin
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Suraki-Azad
keywords: Death; Leptospirosis; Renal failure; Renal outcome