Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow They DifferAcute Kidney InjuryChronic Kidney DiseaseFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How They Differ
Acute Kidney Injury
Chronic Kidney Disease
Frequently Asked Questions
Kidney problems can develop suddenly or over a long period of time. The rapid loss of kidney function is calledacute kidney injury (AKI). It is typically due to an event like dehydration, blood loss, or a urinary tract obstruction.
Because the treatment of AKI and CKD differ, it is important to identify the underlying cause based on a review of your symptoms and medical history and a panel of lab and imaging tests.
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This article describes the differences between acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease, including the distinct causes, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.
Difference Between Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease
Thekidneysfunction as the body’s filtration system. These bean-shaped organs, which are about the size of a fist, remove waste and excess fluid from the body through urine. They also maintain a stable balance of salt, potassium, and acids in the body and producerenin, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure and other body functions.
Many conditions, diseases, and medicines can affect the kidneys and create situations that lead to acute and chronic kidney problems. The termacuteis used when the onset of symptoms is sudden and a significant change from normal. The termchronicis used when the problem is long-developing and persistent.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) differ in several key ways:
The decline in kidney function is steep
The onset of symptoms is sudden and can be severe
The treatment is focused on resolving the underlying cause
The condition is most often reversible
The decline in kidney function is gradual
Symptoms may not appear until the damage is severe
The treatment is focused on managing the underlying cause
The condition is generally non-reversible
What is a Nephrologist? When to See One and What to Expect
AKI is seen in 10% to 15% of people admitted to the hospital and more than 50% of people admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
What Is CKM Syndrome?
Causes
Causes of Acute Kidney Injury
Symptoms
When AKI symptoms occur, they tend to develop rapidly, causing a cascade of potentially severe symptoms, including:
AKI will sometimes cause no symptoms and only be detected with lab tests while a person is hospitalized or being seen for another medical condition.
AKI can lead to potentially severe complications, includingpulmonary edema(excess fluid in the lungs) andhyperkalemia(dangerously high blood potassium levels). If left untreated, the rapid buildup of toxins can also lead torespiratory failure, life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances, and death.
Signs and Symptoms of Acute Kidney Injury
Treatment
The treatment for AKI typically requires a hospital stay. With that said, most people who get AKI are already hospitalized for a condition that contributes to the onset of AKI.
While the treatment is largely focused on resolving the underlying cause, efforts will be made to prevent complications of AKI. This may include:
While most cases of AKI can be reversed once the underlying condition is treated, some injuries can cause permanent damage that leads to chronic kidney disease and long-termkidney failure.
How Acute Kidney Injury Is Treated
Cause of Chronic Kidney Disease
The appearance of symptoms in people with CKD can be so gradual that they don’t realize they have the disease until it is advanced. In fact, only 1 of every 3 people with severe CKD (less than 30% kidney function) realizes that they have it.
As the kidney function decreases, more overt symptoms of CKD may develop, including:
Over time,CKD can lead to complicationssuch as anemia, heart disease,weak bones, reduced fertility, seizures, and an increased risk of infections. Depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment can be found in people with CKD.
People with advanced CKD may also develop abnormally high bloodphosphatelevels, called hyperphosphatemia, which can increase the risk of muscle and bone damage.
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease
There is no cure for CKD, but there are treatments that can preserve kidney function and slow the progression of the disease. This starts with the identification and management of the underlying cause.
Among the treatments used to manage CKD are:
People with end-stage kidney disease (less than 15% kidney function) require eitherdialysisor akidney transplantto stay alive.
How Chronic Kidney Disease Is Treated
Summary
A Word From Verywell
The early treatment of kidney disease will almost invariably improve outcomes, whether you have AKI or CKD. With CKD, however, the symptoms are often “invisible” until the kidneys are severely and irreparably damaged.
To this end, it is important to identify your risk factors for CKD and speak with your healthcare provider about screening you for CKD if you are at risk. All it takes is a simple panel of blood tests to determine if your kidneys are functioning normally or not.
The National Kidney Foundation and other professional organizations currently recommend CKD screening for at-risk groups, including adults over 60, people of color, and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes sudden and severe symptoms that are usually reversible. By contrast, chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses slowly and is generally non-reversible, causing symptoms that are often only noticed when the kidney damage is severe.
The three main causes of acute kidney injury are:
There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, but treatments are available that can help relieve symptoms and stop the disease from getting worse.
You often don’t. Only 1 in 10 people in the United States are aware that they have chronic kidney disease (CKD).For this reason, CKD screening should be sought if you are over 60 or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of kidney disease.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ferenbach DA, Bonventre JV.Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: from the laboratory to the clinic.Nephrol Ther.2016;12(Suppl 1):S41–S48. doi:10.1016/j.nephro.2016.02.005Gaitonde DY, Cook DL, Rivera IM.Chronic kidney disease: detection and evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(12):776-783.Ronco C, Bellomo R, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury.Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1949–1964. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32563-2Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev. 2016;37(2):85–98.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2023.Simões E Silva AC, Miranda AS, Rocha NP, Teixeira AL.Neuropsychiatric disorders in chronic kidney disease.Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:932. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00932Shaman AM, Kowalski SR.Hyperphosphatemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease.Saudi Pharm J. 2016;24(4):494-505. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2015.01.009National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is kidney failure?Chen TK, Knicely DH, Grams ME.Chronic kidney disease diagnosis and management: a review.JAMA. 2019;322(13):1294–1304. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.14745
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ferenbach DA, Bonventre JV.Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: from the laboratory to the clinic.Nephrol Ther.2016;12(Suppl 1):S41–S48. doi:10.1016/j.nephro.2016.02.005Gaitonde DY, Cook DL, Rivera IM.Chronic kidney disease: detection and evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(12):776-783.Ronco C, Bellomo R, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury.Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1949–1964. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32563-2Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev. 2016;37(2):85–98.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2023.Simões E Silva AC, Miranda AS, Rocha NP, Teixeira AL.Neuropsychiatric disorders in chronic kidney disease.Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:932. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00932Shaman AM, Kowalski SR.Hyperphosphatemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease.Saudi Pharm J. 2016;24(4):494-505. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2015.01.009National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is kidney failure?Chen TK, Knicely DH, Grams ME.Chronic kidney disease diagnosis and management: a review.JAMA. 2019;322(13):1294–1304. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.14745
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ferenbach DA, Bonventre JV.Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: from the laboratory to the clinic.Nephrol Ther.2016;12(Suppl 1):S41–S48. doi:10.1016/j.nephro.2016.02.005Gaitonde DY, Cook DL, Rivera IM.Chronic kidney disease: detection and evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(12):776-783.Ronco C, Bellomo R, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury.Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1949–1964. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32563-2Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev. 2016;37(2):85–98.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2023.Simões E Silva AC, Miranda AS, Rocha NP, Teixeira AL.Neuropsychiatric disorders in chronic kidney disease.Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:932. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00932Shaman AM, Kowalski SR.Hyperphosphatemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease.Saudi Pharm J. 2016;24(4):494-505. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2015.01.009National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is kidney failure?Chen TK, Knicely DH, Grams ME.Chronic kidney disease diagnosis and management: a review.JAMA. 2019;322(13):1294–1304. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.14745
Ferenbach DA, Bonventre JV.Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: from the laboratory to the clinic.Nephrol Ther.2016;12(Suppl 1):S41–S48. doi:10.1016/j.nephro.2016.02.005
Gaitonde DY, Cook DL, Rivera IM.Chronic kidney disease: detection and evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(12):776-783.
Ronco C, Bellomo R, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury.Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1949–1964. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32563-2
Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev. 2016;37(2):85–98.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2023.
Simões E Silva AC, Miranda AS, Rocha NP, Teixeira AL.Neuropsychiatric disorders in chronic kidney disease.Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:932. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00932
Shaman AM, Kowalski SR.Hyperphosphatemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease.Saudi Pharm J. 2016;24(4):494-505. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2015.01.009
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.What is kidney failure?
Chen TK, Knicely DH, Grams ME.Chronic kidney disease diagnosis and management: a review.JAMA. 2019;322(13):1294–1304. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.14745
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