Cessation of renal (kidney) function.
A condition in which the kidneys suddenly cease to produce urine and to filter waste products from the blood. Cessation may be partial or total.
A sudden and significant decrease in the kidneys’ filtration capabilities and, within hours or days, an increase in the levels of creatinine and other waste products in the systemic circulation. ARF occurs in approximately 5% of all patients admitted to hospitals. It often results from accidents (e.g., severe burns and trauma) that cause large losses in body fluid. A number of drugs can cause ARF. Hospital procedures can also cause ARF, and ARF happens to >25% of those surgical patients who require cardiopulmonary bypass and to almost 30% of patients in intensive care units. When ARF is the result of a decrease in blood volume without kidney damage, the condition can often be quickly and completely reversed. When the kidneys have been injured, however, they must heal if the ARF is to resolve.