ABSTRACT
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is diagnosed on the basis of an acute rise in serum creatinine concentration, a fall in glomerular filtration rate or a fall in urine output. AKI may be caused by a drop in renal perfusion obstruction to urine outflow at any point from the ureters to the urethral outlet or intrinsic disease of the kidneys. Intrinsic renal disease may be further sub-divided into vascular disease, glomerular disease, acute interstitial nephritis and acute tubular necrosis. Thus the mechanisms of acute kidney injury may be summarised as follows; pre-renal; post-renal; renal. Initial management focuses on the detection and treatment of life-threatening complications of acute kidney injury, and correction of easily reversible causes of renal dysfunction, such as hypovolaemia and urinary tract obstruction. Perform a full systemic enquiry, as multi-system disease may present with acute kidney injury. Hyperphosphataemia is a common feature of acute kidney injury.
