Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)

An acute kidney injury creates an abrupt reduction in renal function, resulting in an accumulation of waste material in the blood.

Causes of AKI can be pre-renal, intra-renal, or _post-renal:

• Pre-renal: decreased renal perfusion.
  • Hypovolemia / hypotension.
  • Heart failure.
  • Renal artery obstruction.
• Intra-renal: circumstances within the kidneys themselves.
  • Acute tubular necrosis due to ischemia or nephrotoxins.
• Post-renal: obstruction of urine flow.
  • Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones).
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia.