Acute renal failure

Abstract 

Although a relatively rare perioperative complication, renal failure is recognized as an independent predictor of mortality. The final common pathway of all the renal insults is tubular cell death, by either apoptosis or necrosis. This article discusses the mechanisms underlying the development of acute perioperative renal failure, the detection and prevention of renal dysfunction, and the adoption of the RIFLE classification of renal failure.

Keywords: acute renal failure, creatinine clearance, glomerular filtration rate, kidney, tubular necrosis