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, the commonest in childhood being conditions which deplete the circulating blood volume and thereby reduce blood flow to the kidney, which can cause damage to the kidney tubules - known as acute tubular necrosis. if not rapidly reversed.
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