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If a pipe continues getting chocked up, there comes a time when it gets completely blocked allowing no further passage of fluids. A kidney in failure is similar to such a blocked pipe. There is drastic reduction or complete stoppage of renal functioning leading to diminished elimination of metabolic waste products of the body. These wastes then continue accumulating in the blood stream and circulate to all parts of the body, damaging them gradually. Such renal failure can be sudden and acute or a result of long-term insult on the kidneys. The causes of renal failure are numerous and varied. Acute renal shutdown may be the result of massive blood loss due to an accident or internal haemorrhage; severe vomiting or diarrhoea leading to loss of body water; accumulation of water in cavities of the body like pleural effusion or ascites; stones in the kidney or ureter. It is usually reversible with vigorous intervention. Chronic failure is slow and takes over weeks to months to manifest. It might be the result of long standing and/or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, hypertension; birth anomalies like polycystic kidney disease; renal artery stenosis; long-standing and untreated auto-immune diseases of the kidney like chronic glomerulonephritis. In addition to the symptoms of the failure, signs or symptoms of the underlying cause are also manifested which guide towards the real problem that needs to be corrected. The symptoms of renal failure are, however, the same. There is oliguria i.e. passage of less than 500 ml urine in 24 hours or anuria i.e. no passage of urine. There might be pain overlying the kidneys and/or tenderness over the flanks. Swelling in the feet, high blood pressure and proteinuria are common accompaniments. There might be haematuria i.e. passage of blood in the urine or pyuria i.e. pus in urine. In cases of acute infections leading to renal shutdown, usually there is burning or pain while passing urine and there might be a history of increased frequency of passing urine followed by stoppage. Usually, there will also be the signs of the cause of the kidney failure e.g. a stone in the ureter seen on an abdominal ultrasound. Diagnosis is based on corroboration of both signs and symptoms. The constellation of symptoms of oliguria along with edema, elevated blood pressure, high creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels leads to the diagnosis of renal failure. Low sodium, haemoglobin and protein along with raised potassium levels are commonly seen in chronic renal failure. An ultrasound or x-ray of the abdomen and pelvis will reveal mechanical obstructions like a stone or multiple cysts. CT scan and MRI are usually not required but might help when routine investigations fail to reveal the cause. It is a life-threatening condition and must be attended to immediately. Renal failure implies the presence of a more dangerous underlying cause which must be diagnosed and corrected immediately. In most cases of acute failure, vigorous treatment can correct it completely while chronic cases are more difficult to handle and require regular monitoring. ATTENTION: Click here to read a letter from from a fellow CKD sufferer "“How The Birth Of My Grandson, A Petrifying Doctor’s Visit, And A Fall Down The Stairs… …Led Me To Repairing And Safeguarding My Damaged Kidneys To Give Me New Hope And A Brighter Looking Future!” Without the use of expensive drugs, kidney surgery, or increased doctor visits… This proven and tested method lowers creatinine levels, improves kidney function, and safeguards your kidneys from future damage…Naturally! click here to find out how...
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renal failure, kidney failure, renal shutdown, end-stage kidney disease, chronic kidney disease,
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