Nephrology is the branch of medicine that deals with the physiology and diseases of the kidneys. The kidney helps remove the waste products from the blood & produces urine and helps keep us fit and out of toxins. Any kind of kidney disorder comes under the segment of nephrology and you must visit a nephrologist for that. However, if you ignore it for a longer time, it can lead to acute renal failure and can be fatal too. In this blog, we will inform you about acute renal failure. For any kind of medical assistance connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital at any time.

1. What is acute renal failure?

Acute kidney failure is a state in which the kidneys lose their filtering ability and literally stop working. This leads to accumulation of the waste products in the blood and body and can lead to death as well.

1.1. How is the Coronary Angiography done?

In the coronary angiography, a cardiac catheterization is used. Mainly this process is to measure the pressures in the heart chambers. The arm or groin area is best for this test. Before the test, the area gets cleaned and numbed with a local numbing medicine (anaesthetic). After this, the cardiologist passes a thin hollow tube, called a catheter, through an artery and carefully moves it up into the heart. X-ray images help the doctor position the catheter.

After placing the catheter, the dye (contrast material) is injected into the catheter. The medical professional takes X-ray images are taken to see how the dye moves through the artery. The dye helps highlight any blockages in blood flow.

2. What are the causes of acute renal failure?

There are several reasons for acute renal failure such as
If there is an interrupted blood flow to the kidney
If the kidneys are damaged.
If the urine drainage tubes (ureters) become blocked and wastes can’t leave your body through urine

3. What are the symptoms of acute renal failure?

Acute renal failure can be fatal and it needs a lot of time to get stabilized after getting worse. So, it is important to diagnose it at the right time which will help in starting the treatment at an early stage. The symptoms are-

• Decreased urine output, although occasionally urine output remains normal
• Fluid retention, causing swelling in your legs, ankles or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain or pressure
• Seizures or coma in severe cases

4. What are the stages of acute renal failure?

There are 4 stages of acute renal kidney failure. The stages are- (a) initiation, (b) oligo-anuria, (c) polyuria, and (d) restitution.

a. Initiation: Initiation is the first stage of acute renal kidney failure. It means the kidneys are mildly damaged. However, they are working pretty well. The right treatment & the right lifestyle can do wonders at this stage.
Stage 1 acute renal failure means the patient has a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 90 or greater, but there is a presence of protein in urine. The presence of protein alone means the patient is in Stage 1.

a.a. What are the symptoms of the stage 1 acute renal failure?

The symptoms are-

• High blood pressure
• Swelling in your hands or feet
• Urinary tract infections
• Protein in your urine
• Blood in your urine (also called hematuria)
• Kidney damage that shows up in an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, or kidney biopsy

b. Oligo-anuria: Stage 2 of acute renal failure is known as oligo-anuria. Well, it also means that the kidneys are mildly damaged. In stage 2, eGFR has gone down to between 60 and 89. It means the kidneys are mildly damaged, however, they are working well. In this stage, the patient may or may not have protein in urine.
Well, the damage cannot be reversible however, damage can be slowed down.

b.a. Symptomps of the stage 2 acute renal kidney failure:
Often, symptoms of kidney disease do not start until Stage 3 CKD, which is why many people with Stage 2 CKD might not know they have it. However, there are some signs of Stage 2 CKD people may notice, or that doctors may notice when testing for kidney damage or other health conditions.

Signs and symptoms of Stage 2 CKD include:

• Protein in your urine
• High blood pressure
• Swelling in your hands or feet
• Urinary tract infections
• Blood in your urine (also called hematuria)
• Kidney damage that shows up in an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI or kidney biopsy

c. Polyuria: Stage 3 of acute renal kidney failure is named polyuria. At this level, the patient has eGFR between 30 and 59 which means the kidneys are mild to moderately damaged. At this stage, the kidneys do not work as well as they are supposed to. So, waste can build up in the patient’s body and begin to cause other health problems, such as high blood pressure and bone disease. In the previous two stages, the patient may not see any visible changes to their body or there can be no significant symptoms. However, from this stage, the signs get prominent.

c.a. The symptoms of the stage 3 acute renal failure:

The patient may have symptoms like-

• Dark yellow, orange, or red urine.
• Urinating more or less frequently than normal.
• Edema (fluid retention)
• Unexplained fatigue.
• Weakness and other anemic-like symptoms.
• Insomnia and other sleep issues.
• Lower back pain.
• Increased blood pressure.

Stage 3 CKD is split into two substages based on your eGFR:

Stage 3a means you have an eFGR between 45 and 59
Stage 3b means you have an eGFR between 30 and 44

Once a patient reaches stage 3, it is difficult for them to get fully fit & fine like previously. However, they can prevent themselves from reaching stage 4 with a healthy lifestyle and treatment.

d. Restitution: The stage 4 of the acute renal failure is named “restitution”. At this stage, the patient has an eGFR between 15 and 29 and moderate to severe damage to the kidneys. It means the kidneys are not working well and the waste products are building up in the body. These waste products can cause other health problems, such as high blood pressure, bone disease and heart disease.

d.a. The symptoms of stage 4 acute renal failure:

The symptoms are-

• Urinating (peeing) more often or less often than usual.
• Itchy and/or dry skin.
• Feeling tired.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Numbness or swelling in your arms, legs, ankles, or feet.
• Achy muscles or cramping.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.

Well, this is extreme. However, in many cases, kidney failure or renal failure reaches the last stage and the stage is named stage 5. Stage 5 CKD means the patient has an eGFR of less than 15 and severe damage to the kidneys. The kidneys are getting very close to failure or have already failed (stopped working) totally. The waste products are building up in the body and causing many health problems. At this stage, a patient cannot survive without dialysis or a kidney transplant.

5. How to take care of your kidneys?

We hope that you have understood that any negligence about the kidneys may ruin your life and you should take care of it very well. So, here we are, to give you some tips on taking care of your kidneys well.

• Anyone can get CKD, but the risk is higher for individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, a family history of kidney failure, recurring kidney stones, or being age 60 or older. So, it is important for everyone to have a kidney test every year. For this, you can connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital. Neotia Getwel Multispecilahy Hospital have experts to treat acute & chronic kidney diseases, haemodialysis, glomerulonephritis, renal biopsy, glomerular disease & hemodiafiltration
• Blood pressure is one of the leading causes of kidney damage. A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80 or less. Prehypertension is up to 139/89. Blood pressure readings above 140/90 or higher are considered hypertension. So, it is important for everyone to monitor their blood pressure regularly. If you have high blood pressure, do not forget to connect with a nephrologist too.
• Regular exercise can lower the risk of kidney diseases and many other diseases too. For this, you can do 150 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as walking, running, cycling, dancing, or swimming. 2 and a half hours may seem like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Consider breaking it down into 30 minutes 5 days per week.
• Diet plays a crucial part in our life. We can avoid many diseases if we eat healthily. Everyone should consume more amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and lean sources of protein. Try lower sodium versions of packaged foods and be mindful that restaurant foods are often prepared with a lot of salt. Do not forget to keep yourself hydrated too.

6. When to connect with a nephrologist?

As we always say, early detection is the key to early cure. So, it is important to visit a nephrologist at an early stage. The early symptoms of kidney disease can be general and vague, so it’s easy to confuse them for more common conditions. Some early warning signs include:

• Feeling tired but having trouble sleeping
• Dry skin
• Urinating frequently (especially at night)
• Blood in your urine
• Foamy urine
• Swelling and puffiness especially around your eyes and in your feet and ankles
• Muscle cramps
• Lack of appetite
• A metallic taste in your mouth

Final words: We hope that the relation between nephrology & acute renal failure is clear for you. Take care of your kidneys well to live a healthy. For any kind of medical assistance connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital at any time.

Disclaimer

Though all attempts are made to provide correct information on the subject, inadvertent & typographical errors arising out of manual intervention cannot be ruled out. It is requested to bring any such discrepancies to the notice of the blogger for correction