ABSTRACT
The end of the Second World War heralded a flurry of interest in human renal transplantation. For a century before, understanding of kidney disease had progressed only incrementally beyond Bright’s description of uraemic death in 1836.8 The concept of acute renal failure as a consequence of severe injury and hypotension emerged during the War as surgeons were able to save the lives of severely injured patients, thus forestalling immediate death and allowing other sequelae to ensue. It was found that patients could recover from trauma-induced ‘acute renal failure’ if they could be kept alive long enough to allow the healing process to occur. However, in others, there was progressive deterioration in kidney function over time that appeared to be irreversible, and for these individuals with ‘chronic renal failure’, no lifesaving options were apparent.
