Table of Contents
WHAT IS ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY?
Acute kidney injury – also known as acute renal failure or acute kidney failure – develops rapidly, often within a few days at most. It is most common in people who have been hospitalized, especially in critically ill people who are in need of intensive care.
Acute kidney injury is a condition in which the kidneys suddenly decline in function, losing their ability to remove waste products from the blood. At that time, dangerous amounts of waste can accumulate, causing an imbalance of chemical components in the blood and an imbalance of water and electrolytes.
Acute kidney injury can be fatal and requires very aggressive treatment. Fortunately, however, acute kidney failure is also reversible. Furthermore, with good health, the patient can recover normal or near-normal kidney function.
SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
Signs and symptoms of acute kidney injury that a person may experience include:
- Decreased urine output, although sometimes urine output remains normal
- Fluid retention, causing swelling of the legs, ankles or feet
- Shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing
- Tiredness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Weak muscles
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain, chest tightness
- Convulsions or coma in severe illness
Sometimes it is very dangerous that an acute kidney injury does not cause any signs or symptoms that the patient can detect on their own but is only discovered by chance through tests when the patient goes to the doctor for medical reasons. due to another illness.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR?
It is very important to see a doctor or go to the emergency room immediately if you have signs or symptoms of acute kidney injury.
WHAT CAUSES ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY?
Common causes:
We know that the removal of salt, water and metabolic products from the blood is the primary function of the kidneys. But when kidney damage occurs, the body accumulates toxic substances and is accompanied by electrolyte imbalance and leads to acute life-threatening kidney damage.
Acute kidney damage can occur for a variety of reasons, including a number of conditions and triggers that can directly damage the kidneys and lead to acute kidney injury, such as:
- Drugs, such as certain chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, and dyes used in imaging tests
- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP), a rare blood disorder
- Toxins, such as alcohol, heavy metals, and cocaine
- Breakdown of muscle tissue (rhabdomyolysis) leads to kidney damage due to toxins from the destruction of muscle tissue
- Disruption of tumor cells (tumor lysis syndrome), resulting in the release of toxins that can damage the kidneys
- Severe or sudden dehydration or blood loss
- Prolonged use of pain relievers known to have adverse effects on the kidneys (such as aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil, Motrin IB, etc.), naproxen sodium (Aleve and others) or related drugs for an extended period of time ) and in high doses
- Autoimmune kidney disease, such as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and interstitial nephritis.
- Sepsis and septic shock, causing multiple organ failure
- Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis
- ….
Certain disorders cause blood clots, blockages in the blood vessels, and can lead to acute kidney damage, such as:
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a disease caused by the premature destruction of red blood cells
- Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
- Malignant hypertension
- Transfusion reaction
- Scleroderma, a group of rare diseases that affect the skin and connective tissue
- Cholesterol deposits block blood flow to the kidneys
- Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-loe-nuh-FRY-tis), inflammation of the small filters of the kidneys (glomeruli)
- Blood clots in the veins and arteries in and around the kidney
Diseases and conditions that prevent urine from leaving the body and can lead to acute kidney damage include:
- Heart disease
- Hepatic insufficiency
- Bladder cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Colon cancer
- Prostate cancer, enlarged prostate
- Kidney stones
- Blood clots in the urinary tract
- Urinary obstruction in the kidney
- Nerve damage involving the nerves that control the bladder
Other causes:
- Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that causes glomerulonephritis
- Drugs, such as certain chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, and contrast media used in diagnostic imaging tests
- Rhabdomyolysis causes toxic kidney damage due to muscle breakdown
- Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) – a clinical condition that occurs due to the rapid destruction of malignant tumor cells in the body, combined with treatment to destroy the malignant cells with hormonal drugs, chemicals, or radiation , causing the release of toxins that can damage the kidneys
- Some infections, such as sepsis and acute pyelonephritis, can directly damage the kidneys.
- Viral infections, such as the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Risk factors for acute renal failure
Acute kidney injury almost always occurs in patients with an underlying medical condition, that is, the patient is already suffering from another disease, so the risk factors that may increase the risk risk of acute renal failure include:
- Patients who are hospitalized, especially those who are seriously ill and need special care
- Elderly age. The older you are, the higher your risk of getting the disease.
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease of blood vessels in the arms or legs
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart failure
- Kidney disease
- Liver failure
- Some cancers.
IS ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY REVERSIBLE?
First of all, it must be said that patients with acute renal failure will certainly need to be treated in the hospital. The kidney’s ability to recover will depend on the cause of the acute kidney injury, how the consequences of the acute kidney injury affected kidney function, and the kidney’s ability to heal. That is, the chances of recovery from acute kidney injury depend on two basic factors, namely the cause and the extent of the damage.
Treating the cause of kidney injury
This is important, the first and the first factor mentioned above. Your doctor will need to determine which disease or injury caused the kidney damage. Thus, the doctor will choose a treatment regimen, depending on the identified cause.
Treat complications until the kidneys recover:
This is the second factor mentioned above i.e. the degree of damage to the kidney as well as the complications that the kidney suffers from other diseases as well as the complications that the damage to the kidney itself provokes.
POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY:
- Accumulation of fluid, i.e. edema. Acute kidney disease can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
- Chest tightness. If the lining of the heart (the pericardium) becomes inflamed, the person may experience chest pain.
- Muscular weakness. Muscle weakness is caused when body fluids and electrolytes are out of balance.
- Permanent kidney damage. Sometimes acute kidney failure results in permanent loss of kidney function or end-stage kidney disease. People with end-stage kidney disease require permanent dialysis. It is a mechanical filtration process used to remove toxins and wastes from the body. Or if you are lucky you can get a kidney transplant to survive.
- And the worst thing that can happen is death. Acute kidney failure can lead to loss of kidney function and possibly death.
PREVENTION OF COMPLICATIONS :
In addition to treating the cause, the doctor will also treat to prevent possible complications and give the kidneys time to rest and recover. Treatments that help prevent complications include:
Limit heavy work and follow a special diet to support the recovery process after acute kidney injury.
Depending on each particular case, the patient, after consulting a specialist, can actively apply for himself:
- Choose foods low in potassium, such as vegetables, such as apples, cauliflower, peppers, grapes and strawberries. Also avoid foods high in potassium like bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes.
- Eat light: Reduce the amount of salt in dishes. Avoid processed foods high in salt such as fast foods, canned porridge, canned vegetables, canned meats, and processed cheeses
- Limit Phosphorus: Phosphorus is a mineral found in foods like bread, whole grains, whole grains, oatmeal, nuts, and peanut butter. Too much phosphorus in the blood can cause the amount of calcium in the bones to drop sharply and cause osteoporosis, which is bone brittleness.
And, even after the kidneys have recovered, when the person may no longer need to follow a particularly strict diet, a healthy diet throughout life is still important to stay healthy and protect them. kidneys.
PREVENTION OF ACUTE RENAL FAILURE
Acute kidney injury is often difficult to predict or prevent. But we can also reduce our risk of disease by taking care of our kidneys. For example, below are some specific metrics you can refer to:
- Be careful when using the medicine. Not only do you have to be careful when using antibiotics and prescription drugs, but you should also be extremely vigilant about seemingly harmless drugs like over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. For these drugs, like aspirin, acetaminophen (like Tylenol and others), ibuprofen (like Advil, Motrin IB and others) and naproxen sodium (like Aleve and others), if taken in excess, they can increase the risk of kidney damage. This is especially true if you have pre-existing kidney disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
- Talk to your doctor about managing your kidneys and other chronic conditions. If you have kidney disease or another condition that increases your risk for acute kidney disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, stick to your treatment goals and follow your doctor’s recommendations for managing your condition.
- Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Adopt a healthy and balanced diet; and if you drink, drink in moderation or as little as possible.
