Overview
Once referred to as acute renal failure, acute kidney injury is when the kidneys are not working as they should be working. The kidneys main job in the body is to remove the products of waste, help balance the water and salt levels in the blood, and to basically keep you healthy. When the kidney’s stop working, you start to have waste, water and minerals build up in the body that can be deadly.
The Causes of Acute Kidney Injury
This type of issue has three main causes:
- The blood flow to the kidneys drops suddenly. This can be sepsis which is often due to dehydration or some type of harm to the kidneys.
- Medications, positions or infection can lead to damage to the kidneys. Most people never suffer with kidney damage from medications, but there are those who do suffer. Some examples of medicines that can cause issues are:
- Antibiotics
- Pain medications
- Blood pressure medications
- X-ray tests that utilize dyes
- A blockage in the kidneys that stops urine from being passed. For example, kidney stones or a tumour can cause a blockage.
The Symptoms of Acute Kidney Injury
There are several symptoms associated with Acute Kidney Injury that include:
- Little or no urine when going to the bathroom
- Swelling in the hands or feet
- No appetite
- Feeling nauseous or vomiting
- Having feelings of confusion, feeling anxious, restless or sleepy
- A pain in the back that is just below the ribs, otherwise known as flank pain
There are those who never show symptoms while others may show every symptom that there is.
Treatment Options
Once the cause is established, the objective of treatment is to aid your kidneys to function again and stop liquid and waste from building up. Generally, you will have to sleep overnight in the hospital to receive the necessary treatment.
The quantity of fluid you consume will be restricted to the quantity of urine you can produce. You will be instructed what you can and can’t eat to decrease the collection of pollutants that the kidneys would usually remove.
When there is acute kidney injury, the doctor will have to device what the best treatment is for a person. The reason for the injury is going to have to deal a lot with what treatment option a doctor chooses to utilize. However, a few treatment options may include:
- Stop the medications that a person may be on
- Remove the blockage that may be present
- Help to stop the wastes that are building in the body through dialysis
- Help to prevent further problems through taking infection pills or balancing the minerals in the body.