What Is Renal Failure?

Renal failure occurs when the kidneys are unable to maintain regulation of the composition or the value of body fluids.  With acute renal failure the individual's condition deteriorates rapidly in a few days.  The chronic form of renal failure may take several months.  The main causes of renal failure are:

1. Shock associated with major injury or hemorrhage.
2. Burns involving more than 15% of the body surface.
3. Gastroenteritis resulting in severe dehydration.
4. Septicemia
5. Renal disease.
6. Obstructive urinary flow.
7. Mismatched transfusion, ingested poisons, anaphylactic shock.
8. Hypoxia in the neonate period.

The usual presenting symptom in acute renal failure is oliguria, but occasionally the patient will be observed to pass dilute urine in large quantities.  Drowsiness, headaches, loss of appetite, pallor, vomiting, sore dry mouth, pyrexia, diarrhea and convulsions are all common and may occur simultaneously or at different times.  Blood pressure and intracranial pressure are high and there may be visual disturbances and retinal hemorrhages.  The pulse rate is rapid and the volume poor.     

Uraemic children are particularly prone to infection, and the appropriate antibiotics will be ordered.  These may need to be given in reduced dosage, as some real dangerous blood level concentrations if given in the normal amounts when the kidneys are not properly functioning.

Can renal failure cause encephalitis
of the brain due to morphine build
up being unable to be excreted.