ABSTRACT
Acute renal failure (ARF) as a result of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) may develop in 10% of all patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates.1-3 Despite increased understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms operative in ATN, and the success of various treatments in reversing or ameliorating ATN in animal models, there are currently no proven therapies in human ARF, in which mortality rates remain in excess of 50%.4
