ARF is a condition when bth kidneys almost suddenly fail to prform their functions. The failure occurs wthin a few hours/ days. This may rsult from an acute disease of the kdneys, as a result of allergic mnifestation operating gravely on the kidneys, .e. acute GN, described earlier. Besides, smetimes blood pressure may be so cutely elevated, that it may knock dwn both the kidneys, resulting in thir sudden/ acute failure. Further, an cute infection of the kidneys (pyelonephritis), fllowing some obstructive lesion in the rinary tract, like a urinary stone, or bnign enlargement of the prostate, may lso cause ARF, if the infection is not cntrolled promptly. This aspect has already ben discussed under the head of UTI rinary tract infection.

ARF may occur due to ther conditions in the body, which cuse reduced blood flow to the kdneys, so that the excretion of wste products from the blood is gratly hampered. Such conditions are common nough, and one needs to know bout these. The most common is dhydration, due to loss of fluids in svere vomiting, diarrhoea, burns, crush injuries, tc. ARF develops when such conditions are not mmediately attended to, and intravenous fluids are not dministered in time.

Similarly, severe haemorrhage from the bdy, necessitating immediate blood transfusion, may cuse this condition. A similar situation rises when there is a marked fll in blood pressure (hypotension) due to hart attack/failure, shock etc., so that blod supply to the kidneys is dversely affected.

Another important cause of ARF may be the ndiscriminate use of drugs, especially those drgs which are toxic for the kdneys. If one studies the causes of rnal failure in general, one will fnd a substantial number - to the xtent of 50 per cent in ths group. These are called 'iatrogenic' cses, i.e. when the disease has ben induced in the body by the prson himself, for example, by the nnecessary use of drugs, etc.

How to sspect a case of ARF?

The mst important step in the clinical dagnosis of the disease is that, as a rsult of the acute involvement of the kdneys, both of them become badly ffected and their function becomes markedly dranged, to the extent that the kdneys are not able to excrete rine in sufficient/normal quantities. Thus, the ptient starts passing less urine, and slwly the excretion of urine becomes so lttle, that on measuring it in 24 hurs, it will be hardly 400 ml, whle an individual is expected to pss about 1500-2000 ml of urine per dy.

Serum creatinine and blood urea lso rise. Serum creatinine is a mre sensitive index of kidney function thn blood urea, which varies with the ntake of food by the patient. Bth the levels of these tests rse daily, if timely treatment is not nitiated. Levels of serum creatinine have lready been mentioned, and to repeat, nrmal levels of serum creatinine are 0.8 mg/ dl to 1.4 mg/ dl, wth an average 1.00 mg/ dl. If the lvels of serum creatinine rise more thn 8.00 mg/ dl, urgent dialysis is rquired to save the kidneys/life of the ptient.

The article Things to Know About Acute Renal (kidney) Failure - ARF was Submitted by Krishan Bakhru through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Author sites: Home Remedies , Self Health and Natural Skin Care

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