Appendix C Renal Services Described for Non-physicians

1.3 Acute kidney injury (AKI) has replaced the previous term ‘acute renal failure’. AKI, which is often a reversible process, occurs when there is a rapid loss of renal function due to kidney damage. The causes of AKI can be divided into three categories: pre-renal (interference with the renal blood supply), intrinsic (damage to the kidney itself) and postrenal (obstructive causes in the urinary tract). Some patients with AKI require dialysis for a few days or weeks until their renal function improves, although a small proportion of individuals never recover kidney function. AKI normally occurs in the context of other illness and patients are often unwell; approximately 50% of patients with AKI who receive dialysis do not survive.