Our Services / Acute Kidney Injury

What is acute kidney injury?

Acute kidney injury happens suddenly, which can cause your kidneys to fail within a few hours or within a few days. The good news is it’s reversible if it’s treated quickly. However, it can also cause permanent damage, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure.

This condition can occur in anyone, but it mostly happens in people who are:

• Sick and in the hospital
• In the intensive care unit
• Over the age of 65
• Already have kidney disease
• Have high blood pressure

You’re also at risk if you have other chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, or peripheral artery disease.

What causes acute kidney injury?

Acute kidney injury can develop from several health issues, including:

Lack of blood flow to your kidneys

Blood can struggle to reach your kidneys for various reasons, including:

• Infection
• Dehydration
• Liver failure
• Heart attack
• Heart disease
• Severe burns

The overuse of over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium can also cause acute kidney injury.

Urinary tract blockage

Causes of urinary tract blockage include:

• Cancer of the bladder, prostate, or cervix
• Enlarged prostate
• Blood clots in the urinary tract
• Kidney stones

Nerve damage to the nerves that control your bladder can also cause a blockage.

Other risk factors

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Aging
• Heart failure
• Kidney diseases
• Liver diseases
• Lupus
• Toxins

If you have a severe case of acute kidney injury, you could fall into a coma. If this occurs, your caregiver should call 911 immediately.

How is acute kidney injury treated?

The team at Kidney Doctors of South Texas, PA: Keith A. Ramos, MD, first runs tests to determine if you have acute kidney injury. If diagnosed with it, they identify the cause to determine your treatment.

Dr. Ramos might prescribe medications to balance the fluid in your blood. For example, you might have too much fluid, which can lead to swelling in your arms and legs. In this case, Dr. Ramos may recommend taking diuretics to expel the fluid from your body. 

On the other hand, you could have a lack of fluids in your blood, which might require giving you fluids intravenously.

You may also need hemodialysis to filter your blood until your kidneys make a full recovery.

If you suffer from acute kidney injury, call Kidney Doctors of South Texas, PA, as soon as possible or book your appointment online.