HealthInfo Canterbury
Acute kidney injury
Whara whanewhane ohotata
Acute kidney injury (also called acute kidney failure) affects both of your kidneys and means that they have suddenly stopped working properly. This can happen over a few hours, days or weeks and can range from a minor loss of kidney function to complete kidney failure.
It's essential that acute kidney injury is detected early since the earlier it's picked up, the better the chance of your kidneys fully recovering.
Although acute kidney injury can happen at any age, it's more common in people aged 65 and over and in people who are in hospital.
You're at an increased risk of acute kidney injury if you:
- already have a kidney problem such as chronic kidney disease
- have a long-term disease such as heart failure, liver disease or diabetes
- are dehydrated (due to diarrhoea and vomiting, for example)
- have an infection
- have a blockage of the tubes of your urinary tract due to kidney stones or an enlarged prostate.
Medicines and acute kidney injury
Some medicines increase your risk of getting acute kidney injury, especially if you take them while you're dehydrated, or you take a combination of them.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers. For example, Ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin.
- Blood pressure medicines:
- ACE inhibitors. For example, cilazapril, enalapril and quinapril.
- ARBs (Angiotensin II receptor blockers). For example, losartan and candesartan.
- Tablets to remove excess fluid from your body called diuretics. For example, furosemide and spironolactone.
- Diabetes tablets. For example, glibenclamide, gliclazide, glipizide and metformin.
- Medicines for stomach problems called proton pump inhibitors. For example, omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole.
- Some antibiotics.
- Dyes used in some X-ray tests.
Some other medicines can also increase your risk of acute kidney injury. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the medicines you're taking.
Symptoms of acute kidney injury
You can sometimes have acute kidney injury without any symptoms and it's only picked up by a blood test.
Common symptoms of acute kidney injury include:
- passing less urine (wee) than usual or no urine
- very concentrated urine or urine coloured yellow, brown or red
- loss of appetite
- feeling sick or vomiting
- feeling confused, anxious and restless or sleepy
- swelling of your legs or other body parts
- pain in your stomach or lower back.
Diagnosing acute kidney injury
Acute kidney injury is usually diagnosed from a blood test that measures the level of a substance called creatinine in your blood. High levels of creatinine mean that your kidneys aren't getting rid of waste products as well as they should.
Sometimes a sample of your urine will be checked for blood and protein.
An ultrasound scan of the kidneys may be done to pick up any blockages.
In rare cases, you may need a kidney biopsy to work out what is causing your acute kidney injury. This involves taking a very small sample of tissue from one of your kidneys.
Treating acute kidney injury
There's no specific treatment for acute kidney injury. The treatment aims to manage your symptoms and treat the underlying cause. Sometimes you need dialysis to help your kidneys recover.
Long-term effects
Acute kidney injury can be reversible but it may take some time for your kidneys to recover. You may get your normal kidney function back or you may only get some of it back.
Some people may have permanent kidney damage that needs dialysis. This is called chronic kidney disease.
People who have a history of acute kidney injury have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease in the future.
Following acute kidney injury, you should get your kidney function checked by your doctor every year for the first three years.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Kidney Health Australia – Acute Kidney Injury
Information about acute kidney injury, including its symptoms and how it's treated. This is an Australian website and may contain information that differs from New Zealand recommendations.
- British Kidney Patient Association – Acute kidney injury
A leaflet that answers questions about acute kidney injury. This is a British website and may contain information that differs from New Zealand recommendations.
- NHS – Acute kidney injury
Information about acute kidney injury, including possible causes and who is at risk of getting it. This is a British website and may contain information that differs from New Zealand recommendations.
Content shared between HealthInfo Canterbury, KidsHealth and Health Navigator NZ as part of a National Health Content Hub collaborative. Page created July 2021.
Sources
Review key: HIKID-202879
