ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE - CLINICAL, ETIOLOGIC , AND PROGNOSTIC CONSIDERATIONS BASED ON A REVIEW OF 340 CASES

Acute renal failure is common in acute conditions. The spectrum of cau ses of acute renal failure has changed substantially over recent years , with the development of new surgical techniques. Three hundred forty cases of acute renal failure seen over a ten-year period were analyze d. There were 200 males (58.8 %) and 140 females (41 %). Mean age was 36 years (range 4-80 years). Oligoanuria was a feature at admission in 226 patients (66.4 %). Mean serum urea and creatinine levels were 50 mmol/l and 1 078.5 mumol/l. Seventy-six per cent of patients had a med ical disorder, 10.8 % had a surgical disorder, and 12.5 % were materni ty ward patients. The cause was prerenal in 20 cases (5.8 %), obstruct ive in 42 cases (12.3 %) and parenchymatous in 278 cases. The main par enchymatous cause was acute tubular necrosis (54.7 %). Dialysis was re quired in 247 patients. Peritoneal dialysis was used in 30 patients an d hemodialysis in 217. Infection was the main complication (10.8 %). I n 2 1 0 patients, diuresis and renal function returned to normal withi n a mean interval of 22 days. Noteworthy features in this series inclu de the young age of many patients and the high prevalence of medical e tiologies, particularly infectious diseases. This last characteristic probably explains the low mortality rate in this study.