Usmile atme's List: Objective 029: Know the Causes, Presentation and Management of Acute Renal Failure

Sooby Says: A simple easy to read guideline produced by the Edinburgh Renal Unit. The section at the beginning on initial therapy is particularly useful. The latter sections about renal replacement therapy are interesting and I think knowing about the indications for dialysis is important. The only thing not discussed in this article is the treatment for post-renal renal failure. It does mention placing a catheter but it is the removal of the obstruction which is key to treatment.

Sooby Says: This is a chapter from an online book regarding the causes of acute renal failure. I think the most useful aspect of the chapter are the tables outlining the causes of the pre-renal, renal and post-renal kidney injury. The section on prognosis revolves around different ways of measuring prognosis, and is possibly a little too specialist.

Sooby Says: The symptoms of acute renal failure is a difficult topic to broach. Often patients may have little all in the way of symptoms in the acute phase (apart from oliguria which is common). Also often symptoms are vague and non-specific. This article by webmd.com contains a nice reference of some symptoms that patients may present with. This isn’t a medicalised article, but much of the medicalised articles aren’t very helpful. Worth a read, but do not put too much stall by what is said, patient’s with renal failure don’t come with a single presentation!