Treatment
There are several modalities of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for
patients with acute renal failure:
- Intermittent hemodialysis
- Continuous hemodialysis (used in critically ill patients)
- Peritoneal dialysis (rarely used)
Prognosis
Before the development of renal
replacement therapy (RRT), many people with ARF died from severe
electrolyte imbalance (hyperkalemia, acidosis) or from the uremic toxins
themselves. Patients with ARF are at risk for numerous complications that
may lead to death, such as seizures, bleeding, and coma. Since dialysis
effectively treats the life-threatening complications of ARF, advanced age
and underlying diseases are more likely to determine the risk for a
patient’s dying from ARF.
Oliguric ARF patients continue to have a high mortality rate, despite
the availability of RRT. Almost uniformly, these patients have other acute
and/or chronic medical problems. Patients with nonoliguric ARF tend to
have a more favorable prognosis and are often easier to treat. Nonoliguric
ARF patients often have fewer systemwide complications because their
condition typically is caused by drug-related toxicity and
