Acute Renal Failure
Acute renal failure is the name given to the condition where kidney function deteriorates rapidly over a short period of time. It may present with failure to produce urine (a condition called oliguria), but the diagnosis is usually made as a result of blood tests showing that the levels of urea and creatinine - the waste products of metabolism - are rising. The most dangerous consequence of deteriorating kidney function is a rise in the level of potassium, which can cause cardiac arrest if not treated urgently. There are a number of causes of acute renal failure, including conditions which deplete the circulating blood volume and thereby reduce blood flow to the kidney, causing damage to the kidney tubules - known as acute tubular necrosis - or obstruction caused by, for example, an enlarged prostate. In many cases kidney function improves once the underlying cause has been treated, but this is not always the case.
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