Description
It never ceases to amaze me when patients with acute renal failure (ARF) arrive on the renal unit either dry as a crisp or gasping for breath after several litres of fluid have failed to produce urine. I have to conclude that many doctors find the principles and assessment of fluid balance difficult. The aim of this article is to provide practical clinical guidelines for the assessment and treatment of patients with ARF and to review important advances in understanding its pathophysiology.
A working definition of ARF is the rapid decline in renal excretory function over hours or days. Clinical features are non-specific and the diagnosis is usually made by screening blood tests. Checking medical records for the most recent creatinine level helps establish that the deterioration is indeed acute.
