Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is the sudden loss of kidney function. It occurs when the kidneys stop working over a period of hours, days, or in some cases, weeks.

The bean shaped organs, called kidneys need to be 'full of beans' to carry out the crucial task of filtering body waste and maintaining electrolyte levels in the blood. Malfunction of the kidneys could lead to accumulation of waste products, fluids, and electrolytes in the body, which could gravely endanger life.

Acute Renal Failure is also referred clinically as, a sharp increase of the serum creatinine level from baseline (i.e., an increase of at least 0.5 mg/dl) and the urine output is less than 400 ml per day (oliguria), though not strictly applicable for ARF.

Acute Renal Failure is the cause of complication in 5% of all hospital admissions. With the exclusion of relevant medical conditions, the mortality rate for ARF stands at 10%. The prognosis may be bleak if ARF is accompanied with complicated medical conditions or surgical conditions.

Acute Renal Failure (ARF) and Chronic Kidney Disease – Are They Different?

The answer is ‘yes’. Acute Renal Failure is often the consequence of any untoward experience the body is subjected to; for instance – blood loss due to surgery, or medicine overdose or any injury to the body.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often the consequence of long term illness like high blood pressure or diabetes which gradually takes a toll on the kidneys, causing them to malfunction.