Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon CausesGeneticsCardiovascularLifestyleFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Acute Renal Failure GuideWhat Is Acute Renal Failure?
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Common Causes
Genetics
Cardiovascular
Lifestyle
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Acute Renal Failure Guide
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Usually, the kidneys can continue to function well, even when you become sick. Acute kidney failure is a consequence of severe and rapid damage to the kidneys. It may be reversible or it could be permanent, resulting in lasting kidney dysfunction.
The conditions that cause acute renal failure generally occur suddenly, causing severe damage to thekidneyswithin a few hours or days.
Toxins
Medications contain components that must pass through the kidneys as they are processed in the body. Some of these chemicals can induce toxic damage to the kidneys, causing them to fail.
Medical treatments that are associated with kidney failure include:
Sometimes the cause of acute renal failure is obvious if a medication was administered in a hospital setting. If you took medication at home and forgot about it, it may be more difficult to identify the cause of your acute renal failure.
Shock
Shock is a life-threatening condition that causes severe disruption of the body’s functions, and it often causes substantial damage to multiple organs.
Conditions such as rapid blood loss, extreme dehydration, overwhelming infection, or organ failure can all lead to shock.
These conditions cause the blood pressure or blood supply to fall below the threshold required for sustainable kidney function and can cause sudden damage to the kidneys.
Sepsis
Sepsisis a severe physical response that is often associated withsepticemia(an infection that involves the blood). These conditions can cause acute renal failure as a result of shock and/or the spread of infection to the kidneys.
Post Surgery
Acute renal failure can develop in the first few days after surgery.
Risk factors that increase the chances of acute renal failure after surgery include:
Acute renal failure that develops after surgery can be detected with blood tests. For example, if a person has a creatinine of 0.8 mg/dl before surgery and a creatinine level of 1.6 mg/dl after surgery, this would be an indication of acute kidney failure.
Urine output is anothermeasure of acute renal failure. A urine output of fewer than 0.5 milliliters of urine per kilogram of body weight per hour that lasts for six hours or more is a sign of acute kidney failure.
Most people who experience acute renal failure after surgery will improve within a few weeks.
If you experience acute renal failure after surgery, you may needdialysis. Usually, kidney function improves over time, and dialysis is not typically necessary for the long term. Less often, the kidney damage is permanent and long-term dialysis is necessary until akidney transplantcan provide a functional kidney.
Do You Continue to Make Urine After Starting Dialysis?
Allergic Reaction
A major allergic reaction is generally rapid in progression and can affect heart function and blood flow to the extent that the kidneys may be deprived of adequate blood and oxygen. Acute renal failure is the consequence.
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and generally occurs slowly, causing progressive kidney damage. However, it can reach a point at which it suddenly becomes apparent, causing severe and rapidly progressive symptoms similar to those of acute renal failure.
Causes of GlomerulonephritisCommon causes of glomerulonephritis include:InfectionsAutoimmune diseaseVascular inflammationSometimes, the cause of glomerulonephritis is not known.
Causes of Glomerulonephritis
Common causes of glomerulonephritis include:InfectionsAutoimmune diseaseVascular inflammationSometimes, the cause of glomerulonephritis is not known.
Common causes of glomerulonephritis include:
Sometimes, the cause of glomerulonephritis is not known.
Inflammatory Disease
Inflammatory conditions, such as lupus and Berger’s disease, cause inflammation of varying degrees and can affect any organ of the body. The inflammation affects the kidneys over time, causing progressive, rather than acute renal failure. The gradual kidney failure can produce sudden symptoms and may suddenly become noticeable over a short period of time.
Scientists have found some genetic links to acute renal failure, but the association appears to be weak. Overall, it is still difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the genetics of acute renal failure at this time.
Heart Attack
A heart attack is a medical crisis that can cause a rapid decrease in the blood supply to any organ of the body, including the kidneys. A severe lack of blood flow and oxygen supply may cause acute renal failure.
Blood Clots
Blood clots can form in the blood vessels of the kidneys or may travel from elsewhere in the body to the kidneys. If a large enough area of the kidney suffers from lack of blood flow due to blockage from a blood clot, then acute renal failure can occur.
Vascular Disease
Vascular disease generally causes a slow progression of kidney failure, rather than acute renal failure. But, after a period of a slow progression without symptoms or obvious effects, vascular disease may suddenly cause symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of acute renal failure.
In general, lifestyle issues are not a leading cause of acute renal failure. But, there are some lifestyle factors that can increase your chances of developing the condition.
Illegal Drug Use
The use of illegal drugs can cause sudden, rapid toxicity to the kidneys.In addition, injected drugs increase the risk of aggressive infections that can progress to cause sepsis.
Heavy Alcohol Use
Heavyalcohol use damages the livermore than it targets the kidneys. The liver and kidneys both metabolize (break down and detoxify) food, medications, and substances that circulate throughout the body.
Heavy alcohol use, which is considered more than 10 to 14 drinks per week, is a cause of slowly progressive direct kidney damage. Additionally, when the liver is damaged and cannot metabolize materials properly, the kidneys are more likely to bear the brunt of the toxins in the body and can eventually fail as well.
Kidney failure due to alcohol is a slow process. Like other gradual causes, the effects may suddenly become noticeable and appear as acute renal failure.
Analgesic Overuse
Several over-the-counter pain medications maycause acute renal failure, especially with excessive or chronic use.
Using pain medication on a daily basis often results in rebound pain when the medications wear off, creating a cycle that potentially exposes you to unnecessary and possibly damaging medication doses.
If you take large amounts of pain medication, discuss your pain and health conditions with your healthcare provider to avoid damaging your kidneys and to figure out whether the cause of your pain could be a serious health problem.
Prerenal causes of acute kidney failure are those that directly or indirectly decrease blood flow to the kidneys.Common causes include:Severe dehydrationSevere low blood pressure (hypotension)Heart failureAdvanced liver diseaseNarrowing of the renal artery orveins(renal stenosis)
Prerenal causes of acute kidney failure are those that directly or indirectly decrease blood flow to the kidneys.
Common causes include:
Intrinsic causes of acute renal failure are those that occur within the kidney itself, affecting either the filters of the kidneys (glomeruli), kidney tubules, or the tissues between these structures (interstitium).The most common causes are:GlomerulonephritisAcute tubular necrosis (ATN)Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN)
Intrinsic causes of acute renal failure are those that occur within the kidney itself, affecting either the filters of the kidneys (glomeruli), kidney tubules, or the tissues between these structures (interstitium).
The most common causes are:
Postrenal cause of acute renal failure are those occur downstream from the kidneys and are most often the result of a urinary tract obstruction.Common causes include:Bladder stonesKidney stonesBenign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)Obstructedurinary catheterCancer of theureters,prostate, orbladder
Postrenal cause of acute renal failure are those occur downstream from the kidneys and are most often the result of a urinary tract obstruction.
Sepsisoccurs when the immune system’s response to an infection causes damage to tissues. This can lead to multi-organ failure, including acute intrinsic kidney failure. Around 19% of people with moderate sepsis develop acute renal failure, increasing to 23% when sepsis is severe, and 51% withseptic shock.
Every drug you take passes through the kidneys to some degree. Some can cause damage to the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitium of a kidney, either over a period of time or when taken at high doses (especially in people with underlying kidney disease).Common culprits include:ACE inhibitorsAngiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)AntibioticsContrast dyesLoop diureticsNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)Learn MoreTips for Keeping Your Urinary System Healthy
Every drug you take passes through the kidneys to some degree. Some can cause damage to the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitium of a kidney, either over a period of time or when taken at high doses (especially in people with underlying kidney disease).Common culprits include:ACE inhibitorsAngiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)AntibioticsContrast dyesLoop diureticsNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
Every drug you take passes through the kidneys to some degree. Some can cause damage to the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitium of a kidney, either over a period of time or when taken at high doses (especially in people with underlying kidney disease).
Common culprits include:
Learn MoreTips for Keeping Your Urinary System Healthy
12 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.Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ronco C.Acute kidney injury. Lancet. 2012;380(9843):756-66. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61454-2Yang Y, George KC, Shang WF, Zeng R, Ge SW, Xu G.Proton-pump inhibitors use, and risk of acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:1291-1299. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S130568Park JT.Postoperative acute kidney injury. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2017;70(3):258-266. doi:10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.258Bindroo S, Challa HJ.Renal Failure. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute Kidney Injury: Definition, Pathophysiology and Clinical Phenotypes. Clin Biochem Rev.Larach DB, Engoren MC, Schmidt EM, Heung M.Genetic variants and acute kidney injury: A review of the literature. J Crit Care. 2018 Apr;44:203-211. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.019Mansoor K, Kheetan M, Shahnawaz S, et al.Systematic review of nephrotoxicity of drugs of abuse.BMC Nephrol. 2017;18(1):379. doi:10.1186/s12882-017-0794-0Varga ZV, Matyas C, Paloczi J, Pacher P.Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms. Alcohol Res.Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hadjiphilippou S, Kon SP.Cardiorenal syndrome: review of our current understanding.J R Soc Med. 2016;109(1):12-7. doi:10.1177/0141076815616091Francoz C, Durand F, Kahn JA, Genyk YS, Nadim MK.Hepatorenal syndrome.CJASN. 2019;14(5):774-81.doi:10.2215/CJN.12451018Peerapornratana S, Manrique-Caballero CL, Gómez H, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury from sepsis: Current concepts, epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment.Kidney Int. 2019;96(5):1083-99. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2019.05.026
12 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.Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ronco C.Acute kidney injury. Lancet. 2012;380(9843):756-66. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61454-2Yang Y, George KC, Shang WF, Zeng R, Ge SW, Xu G.Proton-pump inhibitors use, and risk of acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:1291-1299. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S130568Park JT.Postoperative acute kidney injury. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2017;70(3):258-266. doi:10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.258Bindroo S, Challa HJ.Renal Failure. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute Kidney Injury: Definition, Pathophysiology and Clinical Phenotypes. Clin Biochem Rev.Larach DB, Engoren MC, Schmidt EM, Heung M.Genetic variants and acute kidney injury: A review of the literature. J Crit Care. 2018 Apr;44:203-211. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.019Mansoor K, Kheetan M, Shahnawaz S, et al.Systematic review of nephrotoxicity of drugs of abuse.BMC Nephrol. 2017;18(1):379. doi:10.1186/s12882-017-0794-0Varga ZV, Matyas C, Paloczi J, Pacher P.Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms. Alcohol Res.Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hadjiphilippou S, Kon SP.Cardiorenal syndrome: review of our current understanding.J R Soc Med. 2016;109(1):12-7. doi:10.1177/0141076815616091Francoz C, Durand F, Kahn JA, Genyk YS, Nadim MK.Hepatorenal syndrome.CJASN. 2019;14(5):774-81.doi:10.2215/CJN.12451018Peerapornratana S, Manrique-Caballero CL, Gómez H, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury from sepsis: Current concepts, epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment.Kidney Int. 2019;96(5):1083-99. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2019.05.026
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.
Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ronco C.Acute kidney injury. Lancet. 2012;380(9843):756-66. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61454-2Yang Y, George KC, Shang WF, Zeng R, Ge SW, Xu G.Proton-pump inhibitors use, and risk of acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:1291-1299. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S130568Park JT.Postoperative acute kidney injury. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2017;70(3):258-266. doi:10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.258Bindroo S, Challa HJ.Renal Failure. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute Kidney Injury: Definition, Pathophysiology and Clinical Phenotypes. Clin Biochem Rev.Larach DB, Engoren MC, Schmidt EM, Heung M.Genetic variants and acute kidney injury: A review of the literature. J Crit Care. 2018 Apr;44:203-211. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.019Mansoor K, Kheetan M, Shahnawaz S, et al.Systematic review of nephrotoxicity of drugs of abuse.BMC Nephrol. 2017;18(1):379. doi:10.1186/s12882-017-0794-0Varga ZV, Matyas C, Paloczi J, Pacher P.Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms. Alcohol Res.Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hadjiphilippou S, Kon SP.Cardiorenal syndrome: review of our current understanding.J R Soc Med. 2016;109(1):12-7. doi:10.1177/0141076815616091Francoz C, Durand F, Kahn JA, Genyk YS, Nadim MK.Hepatorenal syndrome.CJASN. 2019;14(5):774-81.doi:10.2215/CJN.12451018Peerapornratana S, Manrique-Caballero CL, Gómez H, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury from sepsis: Current concepts, epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment.Kidney Int. 2019;96(5):1083-99. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2019.05.026
Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ronco C.Acute kidney injury. Lancet. 2012;380(9843):756-66. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61454-2
Yang Y, George KC, Shang WF, Zeng R, Ge SW, Xu G.Proton-pump inhibitors use, and risk of acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:1291-1299. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S130568
Park JT.Postoperative acute kidney injury. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2017;70(3):258-266. doi:10.4097/kjae.2017.70.3.258
Bindroo S, Challa HJ.Renal Failure. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
Makris K, Spanou L.Acute Kidney Injury: Definition, Pathophysiology and Clinical Phenotypes. Clin Biochem Rev.
Larach DB, Engoren MC, Schmidt EM, Heung M.Genetic variants and acute kidney injury: A review of the literature. J Crit Care. 2018 Apr;44:203-211. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.019
Mansoor K, Kheetan M, Shahnawaz S, et al.Systematic review of nephrotoxicity of drugs of abuse.BMC Nephrol. 2017;18(1):379. doi:10.1186/s12882-017-0794-0
Varga ZV, Matyas C, Paloczi J, Pacher P.Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms. Alcohol Res.
Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Hadjiphilippou S, Kon SP.Cardiorenal syndrome: review of our current understanding.J R Soc Med. 2016;109(1):12-7. doi:10.1177/0141076815616091
Francoz C, Durand F, Kahn JA, Genyk YS, Nadim MK.Hepatorenal syndrome.CJASN. 2019;14(5):774-81.doi:10.2215/CJN.12451018
Peerapornratana S, Manrique-Caballero CL, Gómez H, Kellum JA.Acute kidney injury from sepsis: Current concepts, epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment.Kidney Int. 2019;96(5):1083-99. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2019.05.026
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