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Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is a medical condition where the kidneys do not function properly and fail to remove waste products from the blood.

In healthy kidneys waste products such as urea and ammonium are filtered from the blood passing through the glomeruli in the kidney's nephrons, whilst reabsorbing water, glucose and amino acids, balancing electrolytes and regulating blood pressure. The level of filtration is known as the glomerular filtration rate or GFR. When the GFR drops below a certain level it is classed as kidney failure.

There are several types of kidney failure, but the two main types are acute kidney injury (AKI) where the kidneys suddenly stop working and chronic kidney disease (CKD) which develops over a longer period of time. The underlying cause must be determined before treatment can be planned.

There are many causes of kidney failure including autoimmune kidney diseases, decreased blood flow due to very low blood pressure (from burns, shock, injury or surgery), clotting disorders, diabetes, glomerulonephritis and urinary tract blockages ( kidney stones, bladder or ureter stones).

If your kidneys fail, you need treatment known as renal replacement therapy (medications and/or dialysis) to replace the work they normally do. In the case of acute kidney injury treatment may allow the function of the kidneys to return, whilst for chronic kidney disease renal replacement therapy is often provided until a suitable donor is found for kidney replacement.




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Medeguide is for information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations.