Acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury is a rapid decline in kidney function developing over hours or days. It can impair waste removal, fluid balance, and electrolyte regulation, and may be reversible when its cause is treated.

Glomerular filtration rate: The volume of fluid filtered from blood by the kidney glomeruli per unit time. Its rapid fall is the central functional change measured in acute kidney injury.
Kidney: A paired organ that filters blood, regulates fluid and electrolyte balance, and produces hormones. Its normal jobs explain the disturbances that acute injury can cause.
Acute kidney injury diagnosis: The clinical assessment of acute kidney injury using changes in serum creatinine or urine output. Diagnosis depends on comparing measurements over time with baseline values.
Chronic kidney disease: A persistent abnormality of kidney structure or function lasting at least three months. Acute injury develops rapidly, but incomplete recovery can leave chronic kidney disease.
Prerenal acute kidney injury: Kidney dysfunction caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys without initial structural tissue damage. It shows how dehydration, blood loss, or low cardiac output can reduce filtration.
Serum creatinine: The concentration of creatinine in blood, used as an indirect indicator of kidney filtration. Diagnostic criteria track rises from a person's baseline concentration.
Fluid resuscitation: Administration of fluids to restore or maintain circulating blood volume. It can reverse injury caused by volume depletion, but excess fluid can be harmful.
Acute kidney disease: Kidney abnormalities lasting up to three months, including acute kidney injury and its recovery period. It encompasses the longer interval in which acute injury may resolve or persist.
Acute tubular necrosis: Damage and death of kidney tubule cells, commonly caused by ischemia or toxins. It is a common intrinsic form of acute kidney injury after prolonged ischemia or toxic exposure.
Urine output: The volume of urine produced over a specified period. A sustained decrease can identify acute injury even before blood markers rise.

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