Acute kidney injury (AKI) is where your kidneys suddenly stop working properly. It can tange from minor loss of kidney function to complete kidney failure....CONTINUE READING
According to NHS, Symptoms of AKI include feeling sick or being sick, diarrhoea, dehydration, peeing less than usual, confusion and drowsiness.
Even if it does not progress to complete kidney failure, AKI needs to be taken seriously.
It has an effect on the whole body, changes how some drugs are handled by the body, and could make some existing illnesses more serious.
AKI is different from chronic kidney disease, where the kidneys gradually lose function over a long period of time.
Who’s at risk of acute kidney injury?
You’re more likely to get AKI if you’re aged 65 or over, you already have a kidney problem, such as chronic kidney disease, you have a long-term disease, such as heart failure, liver disease or diabetes, you’re dehydrated or unable to maintain your fluid intake independently, you have a blockage in your urinary tract (or are at risk of this), you have a severe infection or sepsis, you’re taking certain medicines, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen) or blood pressure drugs, such as ACE inhibitors or diuretics; diuretics are usually beneficial to the kidneys, but may become less helpful when a person is dehydrated or suffering from a severe illness and you’re given aminoglycosides, a type of antibiotic; again, this is only an issue if the person is dehydrated or ill, and these are usually only given in a hospital setting
Causes of acute kidney injury
Most cases of AKI are caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys, usually in someone who’s already unwell with another health condition.
This reduced blood flow could be caused by low blood volume after bleeding, excessive vomiting or diarrhoea, or severe dehydration, the heart pumping out less blood than normal as a result of heart failure, liver failure or sepsis, problems with the blood vessels such as inflammation and blockage in the blood vessels within the kidneys (a rare condition called vasculitis), certain medicines that can affect the blood supply to the kidney and other medicines may cause unusual reactions in the kidney itself
AKI can also be caused by a problem with the kidney itself, such as glomerulonephritis.
This may be caused by a reaction to some drugs, infections or the liquid dye used in some types of X-rays.
It may also be the result of a blockage affecting the drainage of the kidneys, such as an enlarged prostate, a tumour in the pelvis, such as an ovarian or bladder tumour and kidney stones.
