About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffAcute kidney failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly become unable to filter wastes from your blood. Acute kidney failure can occur when something damages your kidneys, or it can occur when another condition slows blood flow to your kidneys. Acute kidney failure can also occur when the wastes filtered by your kidneys aren't able to leave your body through your urine.
Diseases and conditions that slow blood flow to the kidneys
Diseases and conditions that may slow blood flow to the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure include:
- Blood loss
- Blood pressure medications
- Heart attack
- Heart disease
- Infection
- Liver cirrhosis
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen
- Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- Severe burns
- Severe dehydration
Diseases and conditions that may damage the kidneys
These diseases, conditions and agents may damage the kidneys and lead to acute kidney failure:
- Blood clots in the veins and arteries in and around the kidneys
- Cholesterol deposits that block blood flow in the kidneys
- Glomerulonephritis
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome
- Infection
- Lupus
- Medications, such as certain chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, dyes used during imaging tests and zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa), used to treat osteoporosis and elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia)
- Multiple myeloma
- Scleroderma
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- Toxins, such as alcohol, heavy metals and cocaine
- Vasculitis
Diseases and conditions that block urine from leaving the body
Diseases and conditions that block the passage of urine out of the body (urinary obstructions) and can lead to acute kidney failure include:
- Bladder cancer
- Blood clots in the urinary tract
- Cervical cancer
- Colon cancer
- Enlarged prostate
- Kidney stones
- Nerve damage involving the nerves that control the bladder
- Prostate cancer
- Molitoris BA. Acute kidney injury. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192064788-4/0/1492/0.html. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Schroeder K. Acute renal failure. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..C2009-0-38983-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2&uniq=192064788. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Ferri FF. Renal failure, acute. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192064788-4/0/2088/0.html. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Wolfson AB. Renal failure. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniq=193452254. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Acute kidney injury nutrition therapy. ADA Nutrition Care Manual. http://nutritioncaremanual.org/vault/editor/Docs/Acute%20Kidney%20Nutrition%20Therapy_FINAL.pdf. Accessed April 8, 2010.
- Reclast (zoledronic acid): Drug Safety Communication – New contraindication and updated warning on kidney impairment. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm270199.htm. Accessed Sept. 1, 2011.
- Reclast (prescribing information). East Hanover, N.J.: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.; 2011. http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/reclast.pdf. Accessed Sept. 14, 2011.
- Zometa (prescribing information). East Hanover, N.J.: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.; 2011. http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/Zometa.pdf. Accessed Sept. 22, 2011.
- Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 19, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on