‘Acute kidney injury’ or ‘acute kidney failure’ refers to the sudden damage to your kidneys. In most cases, the injury is short-term and kidney function recovers over time. In other cases, the injury can cause permanent damage and lead to chronic kidney disease. Outcomes vary from:
- full recovery and normal kidney function
- partial recovery with a decreased level of kidney function
- permanent kidney damage (kidney replacement therapy needed with dialysis or a transplant).
Causes and symptoms of acute kidney injury
Acute kidney injury can happen to anybody when there is:
- reduced blood supply to the kidneys (i.e. after major surgery or dehydration)
- damage to kidney tissue caused by a medication, severe infection or radioactive dye
- physical trauma to the kidney (i.e. a physical injury from playing sport)
- an obstruction that prevents urine leaving the kidney (i.e. due to kidney stones or an enlarged prostate).
Sometimes, there are no symptoms, so it’s important to see your doctor for a Kidney Health Check if you become unwell. If symptoms do occur, they can include:
- a sharp increase of creatinine and other toxins in your blood
- a build-up of fluid in your body
- a decreased output of urine.
If you have an acute kidney injury, you must seek proper treatment and ongoing medical advice. This is because acute kidney injury increases your risk of developing chronic kidney disease in the future. It is recommended you have a Kidney Health Check performed by your doctor every year for the first three years following an acute kidney injury.
On the flipside, if you have chronic kidney disease, you are at an increased risk of acute kidney injury (for example, if you become unwell with a viral infection or become dehydrated). In such cases, damage to your kidneys can happen quickly – in a matter of days. Speak to your doctor immediately if you start to feel unwell or experience any symptoms. We also suggest starting a Sick Day Plan (see more information below).
When you seek medical treatment, your doctor will:
- find and treat the cause of your acute kidney injury
- prescribe medication to support your kidneys during recovery
- closely monitor your urine output and kidney function levels.
In case of severe acute kidney injury, your doctor may ask you to undergo dialysis treatment for one to two weeks while your kidneys recover.
Following an acute kidney injury, make sure that your healthcare providers are aware that you have a history of acute kidney injury and record this in your medical notes. This is important, as an acute kidney injury will mean that you have an ongoing risk of developing kidney disease, and your healthcare team will need to take this into consideration in your ongoing care.
To prevent acute kidney injury, it’s important you follow a plan from your healthcare professional when you are feeling unwell. This is particularly important if you already have chronic kidney disease.
We call this a Sick Day Action Plan. If you become ill or dehydrated (from gastro, diarrhoea or a fever, for example), you may need to temporarily stop taking blood pressure and diabetes medication, for example, as well as anti-inflammatories. Ask your healthcare professional to create a Sick Day Action Plan with you at your next visit.
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