Everyone Healthy Library
Acute Renal Failure
Also Known As: Acute Kidney Failure
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Condition overview
Attributes
Linked signs and symptoms
27Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
- Appetite Loss (Anorexia)
- Blood in Urine (Hematuria)
- Blood Pressure Below Normal (Hypotension)
- Blood: Potassium Elevated (Hyperkalaemia)
- Breath Shortness (Dyspnoea)
- Chest Pain
- Coma
- Dizziness
- Fluid Retention
- Head Rush Or A Dizzy Spell (Orthostatic Hypotension)
- Heart or Pulse Rate Raised (Tachycardia)
- Lung Fluid Accumulation (Oedema Pulmonary)
- Mind: Confusion
- Muscle Jerks
- Muscle Reflex Overactivity (Hyperreflexia)
- Nausea
- No Urine Output (anuria)
- Pain: Chest
- Plasma Creatinine Increased
- Plasma Urea Increased
- Seizures
- Skin Itching Generalized
- Swelling (Oedema, Edema)
- Urine Output Decreased (Oliguria)
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Weight Gain (Body Mass Index Raised)
Linked drugs / medications
3Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
10Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
4Lifestyle changes
1Medical emergencies
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
60These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- abdominal Ultrasound Exam
- Acid Phosphatase Concentration
- Ammonia Concentration Test
- amylase concentration
- Angiogram
- Anion Gap
- Ankle-Brachial Index
- Apolipoprotein B Concentration
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Concentration
- Bleeding Time (Ivy Method)
- Blood pH Test
- Blood Tests
- Blood Urea Nitrogen Tests
- C-Peptide Concentration Test
- Calcium Concentration (Blood, Total)
- Carbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)
- Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Creatinine Clearance (CrCl)
- Creatinine Concentration (Blood, Serum Creatinine)
- Doppler Ultrasound
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Erythropoietin (Ep) Concentration
- Fibrin Degradation Products (FDPs, Fibrin Split Products, FSPs, Fibrin Breakdown Products, Fbps)
- Fibrin Monomers Test
- Gastrin Concentration
- Hemoglobin (Hb) Concentration
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Concentration
- Lactic Acid Concentration
- lipase concentration
- Lymphocytes Count
- Magnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA)
- Phosphate Concentration (PO4, Phosphorus)
- Potassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- Prolactin Concentration
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Protein S Concentration
- Sodium Concentration (Na, Blood)
- Sweat Testing
- Thyroxine (Total T4) Concentration
- Triglyceride (TGs) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine (Free T3) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine (Total T3) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine Uptake Test
- Urine Albumin 24hr test
- Urine Amino Acid Concentration
- Urine Chloride Concentration
- Urine Creatinine Concentration
- Urine Creatinine Concentration
- Urine Estriol (E3) Concentration
- Urine Flow Rate
- Urine glucose concentration
- Urine Granular Cast Concentration
- Urine Lysozyme Concentration
- Urine Osmolality
- Urine Oxalate Concentration (24 Hour)
- Urine Potassium (K) Concentration
- Urine Sodium Quantitative (24hr)
- Urine Test
Biological markers/agents
83This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
63- 1 Methylhistidine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 450–3,200 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 700–8,500 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- 3 Methylhistidine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 420–1,400 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 650–3,300 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Acid PhosphataseReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y), Male: 8.7–12.5 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 2.2–10.4 units/LLinked diagnostic testsAcid Phosphatase Concentration
- Alanine (Urine)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1,500–7,000 µmol/L; Child (< 10y): 600–2,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Alpha Amino N Buryric Acid (Urine)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–350 µmol/L; Child (< 10y): 80–300 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Alpha Aminoadipic Acid (Urine)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–1,700 µmol/L; Child (< 10y): 240–800 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- AmmoniaReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–48 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsAmmonia Concentration Test
- AmylaseReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–125 units/LLinked diagnostic testsamylase concentration
- Anion Gap (Excluding Potassium)Reference range exampleAll: 12–20 mEq/L; All: 8–16 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsAnion Gap
- Anion Gap (Including Potassium)Reference range exampleAll: 12–20 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsAnion Gap
- Apolipoprotein B (Apo B)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 47–115 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 52–120 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsApolipoprotein B Concentration
- Arginine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 120–260 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 140–650 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Asparagine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 160–420 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 350–1,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Aspartic Acid (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 110–270 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 150–900 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Blank 6Linked diagnostic testsBence Jones Protein Count
- Blood Urea NitrogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–18 mg/dL; Child (< 10y): 5–15 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Urea Nitrogen Tests
- C-PeptideReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0.5–2.7 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsC-Peptide Concentration Test
- Carnosine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 350–2,500 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 170–1,300 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Chloride (Blood, Cl)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 97–106 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 94–106 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsChloride Concentration (Blood)
- Chloride (Sweat, Cl)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 0–50 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsSweat Testing
- Citrulline (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 0–140 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 0–100 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Creatinine (Blood)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 0.1–0.4 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Female: 0.6–1.2 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCreatinine Concentration (Blood, Serum Creatinine)
- Cystine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 120–540 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 300–1,200 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Fibrin MonomersReference range example0–10,000 µg/LLinked diagnostic testsFibrin Monomers Test
- Fibrin Split ProductsReference range exampleAll: 0–1 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsFibrin Degradation Products (FDPs, Fibrin Split Products
- Forced Expiratory Volume At Three Seconds (FEV3)Reference range exampleAll: 95–100 %Linked diagnostic testsSpirometry
- GastrinReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–120 pg/mLLinked diagnostic testsGastrin Concentration
- Glutamic Acid (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 135–240 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 300–1,100 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Glutamine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 1,600–4,000 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 3,000–10,500 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Glycine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 2,000–8,500 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 8,000–25,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Histidine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 500–7,300 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 5,000–16,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Isoleucine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 40–150 µmol/L; Child (0 - 16y): 100–250 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Ketone bodies
- Lactic Acid (Venous Blood)Reference range exampleAll: 0.5–2.2 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsLactic Acid Concentration
- LipaseReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10–140 units/LLinked diagnostic testslipase concentration
- Lysine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 200–1,500 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 300–3,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Lysozyme (Muramidase, Urine)Reference range exampleAll: 0–4 mg/24hrsLinked diagnostic testsUrine Lysozyme Concentration
- Magnesium (Mg, Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1.3–2.6 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 1.4–2.2 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsMagnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- Methionine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 70–220 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 55–320 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Ornithine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 40–165 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 50–800 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Phenylalanine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 200–600 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 400–1,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Phosphate (PO4, Phosphorus, P)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 2.5–4.5 mg/dL; Birth - 2wks: 4.3–9.2 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsPhosphate Concentration (PO4, Phosphorus)
- Phosphoethanolamine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 250–670 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 200–1,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Phosphoserine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 150–350 µmol/L; Child (0 - 16y): 1,000–2,200 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Potassium (K, Blood)AbbreviationKReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 4.1–5.3 mEq/L; Child (0 - 16y): 3.4–4.7 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsPotassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- ProlactinReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0–24 ng/mL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 0–19 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsProlactin Concentration
- Proline (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 0–1 Not PresentLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Serine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 1,000–2,200 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 2,000–7,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Sodium (Na, Sweat)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 70–90 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsSweat Testing
- Taurine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 600–9,800 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 2,700–13,000 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Template Bleeding TimeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 2.5–9 MinutesLinked diagnostic testsBleeding Time (Ivy Method)
- Threonine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 250–1,000 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 900–3,500 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- TriglyceridesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 32–137 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 35–155 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsTriglyceride (TG's) Concentration, Triglyceride (TGs) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine Uptake PercentageReference range exampleAll: 25–38 %Linked diagnostic testsTriiodothyronine Uptake Test
- Tyrosine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 300–850 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 400–1,500 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
- Unrine Granular CastsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–0 Not PresentLinked diagnostic testsUrine Granular Cast Concentration
- Urea
- Urine AlbuminReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 30–105 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 10–145 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsUrine Albumin 24hr test
- Urine Estriol (E3)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0–60 µg/24hrs; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 1–11 µg/24hrsLinked diagnostic testsUrine Estriol (E3) Concentration
- Urine glucoseReference range example0–2.5; Adult ( > 16y): 0–2.5 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine glucose concentration
- Urine SodiumReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 41–115 mmol/day; Adult ( > 16y): 40–220 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Sodium Quantitative (24hr)
- Valine (Urine)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 200–400 µmol/L; Adult ( > 16y): 200–750 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amino Acid Concentration
Often decreased
20- Albumin (Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 37–52 gm/dL; Infant (0 - 1y): 4.4–5.4 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Albumin Concentration, Protein Electrophoresis (Blood
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 10–25 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 10–35 units/LLinked diagnostic testsAspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Concentration
- Blood pHReference range exampleAll: 7.35–7.45Linked diagnostic testsBlood pH Test
- Calcium (Blood, Total)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 8.5–10.4 mg/dL; Birth - 2wks: 7.6–10.3 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCalcium Concentration (Blood, Total)
- Carbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 20–27 mEq/L; Newborn (0 - 1month): 13–21 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsCarbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)
- Creatinine Clearance RateReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 87–110 ml/minute; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 100–140 ml/minuteLinked diagnostic testsCreatinine Clearance (CrCl)
- Erythropoietin (Ep)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–36 units/LLinked diagnostic testsErythropoietin (Ep) Concentration
- Hemoglobin (Hb)Reference range exampleFemale: 78–100 gm/dL; Male: 76–100 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsHemoglobin (Hb) Concentration, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Weight Test
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 53–500 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 45–500 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsHigh Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Concentration
- LymphocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–40 %; 700–3,500 cells/mm3Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Lymphocytes Count
- Protein SReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 50–120 %; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 55–120 %Linked diagnostic testsProtein S Concentration
- Sodium (Na, Blood)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 134–150 mEq/L; Child (0 - 16y): 136–145 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsSodium Concentration (Na, Blood)
- Thyroxine (Total T4)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 6–12 µg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 5–12 µg/dLLinked diagnostic testsThyroxine (Total T4) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine (Free T3)Reference range example2.7–4.9 pg/mLLinked diagnostic testsTriiodothyronine (Free T3) Concentration
- Triiodothyronine (Total T3)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 1.1–2.43 ng/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 1–2.1 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsTriiodothyronine (Total T3) Concentration
- UrineReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–7.5; Child (0 - 16y): 500–1,400 mLLinked diagnostic testsUrine Colour, Urine Creatinine Concentration
- Urine ChlorideReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 2–10 mmol/day; Child (0 - 16y): 15–14 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Chloride Concentration
- Urine OsmolalityReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 250–950 mOsm/kgLinked diagnostic testsUrine Osmolality
- Urine OxalateReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 5–30 mg/24hrs; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 7–43 mg/24hrsLinked diagnostic testsUrine Oxalate Concentration (24 Hour)
- Urine Potassium (K)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–100 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Potassium (K) Concentration
Introduction / full article
Acute Renal Failure
Risk Factors
Advanced age, underlying renal disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, connective tissue disease, trauma, bleeding, sepsis, drug overdose, recent surgery, severe dehydration