MODERATE TO SEVERE ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE IN THE MEDICAL WARDS - REPORT OF 102 CASES FROM A SINGLE-CENTER

In this prospective study, we report on 102 adult patients (72 male, 3 0 female) with moderate to severe acute renal failure (ARF; serum crea tinine greater than or equal to 4 mg/dl) who were treated exclusively in the medical wards during the last decade. Patients with pre-existin g chronic renal insufficiency, glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, and sur gical or obstetrical ARF, as well as those who were treated in the ICU , were excluded from the study. Ten of the 102 patients (9.8%) who had obstructive uropathy were also excluded from the final analysis. Amon g the remaining 92 patients, 25 were oliguric and 43 were undergoing d ialysis therapy. The most frequent causes of ARF were iatrogenic (50%) . The overall mortality rate was 6.5% (6/92) and was found to be age i ndependent. It is concluded that moderate to severe ARF treated exclus ively in the medical wards has a low mortality rate that is age indepe ndent.