ABSTRACT
The kidney regulates uid, electrolyte, acid-base, and metabolite balance and disorders of renal function will usually manifest with disruptions of homeostasis in these systems. Renal failure is often accompanied by severe malnutrition and inammatory processes. In the critical care setting, as many as one in three admissions will develop some form of acute kidney injury (AKI).1 Those cases severe enough to require renal replacement therapy (RRT) suffer high mortality, a situation which has persisted despite advances in medical technology and treatments.2 This discussion of renal failure in critical care will address AKI in particular with consideration given to maintenance of dialysis patients seen in critical care.
