Acute Renal Failure: An Overview

Impaired Blood Flood Flow To Kidneys

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One of the most prevalent causes of acute renal failure are mechanisms that produce impaired blood flow to the kidneys. Several different medical diseases and conditions can cause the impaired flow to the kidneys. Sudden loss of blood flow to the kidneys can occur due to a heart attack, liver failure, dehydration, allergic reaction, sepsis, severe burn, or heart disease. Many conditions that cause loss of blood flow to the kidneys are associated with the malfunction of the blood vessels. Renal artery stenosis causes the blood vessels that feed the kidneys to become too stiff to allow for proper blood flow. High blood pressure can cause damage to the renal arteries that may also cause them to become stiff and unable to facilitate the flow of blood.

Conditions that cause an abnormal buildup of fluid in the body or swelling can cause impaired flow of blood to the kidneys. The buildup of plaque can develop in the renal arteries, which causes reduced blood flow to the kidneys. When some mechanism causes a reduced amount of oxygenated blood to reach the kidneys, tissues in these organs become damaged and begin to die. This damage is what causes acute renal failure.

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Kidney Damage And Renal Failure

Photo Credit: NationalKidneyFoundation

Kidney damage can occur over a long period, or it may occur with trauma, like an accident or other physical impact. Severe bleeding can cause significant kidney damage if the organs are left without a source of oxygen due to low blood volume. An individual can experience significant kidney damage if a blood clot forms and becomes stuck in one of the arteries responsible for providing blood to the kidneys. Severe kidney damage that leads to renal failure can be caused by inflammation of the filters in the kidneys caused by an infection or an autoimmune disorder. An individual who has an abnormal reaction to some medications or who has certain toxins or poison in their blood may experience severe kidney damage that can lead to renal failure. Kidney damage that lowers an individual's filtration rate is what is used to determine the degree of kidney disease or the stage of renal failure.

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