Acute kidney injury

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute kidney injury

In the early stages of AKI, there may not be any symptoms.The only possible warning sign may be that the person isn't producing much urine, although this isn't always the case.

However, someone with AKI can deteriorate quickly and suddenly experience any of the following:

nausea and vomiting
dehydration
confusion
high blood pressure
abdominal pain
slight backache
a build-up of fluid in the body (Angioedema)

Even if it doesn't progress to complete kidney failure, AKI needs to be taken seriously. It has an effect on the whole body, changes how some drugs are handled by the body and could make some existing illnesses more serious.

AKI is different to chronic kidney disease, where the kidneys gradually lose function over a long period of time.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 30 Nov 2016

Articles for acute kidney injury

Symptoms

In the early stages of AKI, there may not be any symptoms.The only possible warning sign may be that the person isn't producing much urine, although this isn't always the case.

Causes

Most cases of AKI are caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys, usually in someone who is already unwell with another health condition.

Diagnosis

AKI can be diagnosed after measuring urine output and doing blood tests. Blood levels of creatinine a chemical waste product produced by the muscles will be measured. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine and other waste products from the blood and these are excreted, in the form of urine.

Treatment

Treatment of AKI depends on the underlying cause and extent of illness. In most cases, treating the underlying problem will cure the AKI. GPs may be able to manage mild cases in people who aren't already in hospital.

Prevention

Those at risk of AKI should be monitored with regular blood tests if they become unwell or start new medication. It's also useful to check how much urine you're passing.

Complications

Complications of an acute kidney injury need to be dealt with immediately in a hospital setting under rigorous medical supervision. Some of the complications are high levels of potassium in the blood, fluid in the lungs, etc.

Introduction

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is sudden damage to the kidneys that causes them to not work properly. It can range from minor loss of kidney function to complete kidney failure.

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