Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury

Pediatric acute kidney injury refers to the sudden loss of kidney function due to an underlying illness.

What is a Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury?

Acute (sudden) kidney injury, formerly called acute renal failure, occurs when a kidney is damaged suddenly due to an illness or condition – not because of a blow or injury to a kidney as the name might suggest. It’s a sudden onset of kidney failure that can happen within a few hours or days.

What are the signs and symptoms of a Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury?

What are the causes of a Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury?

Causes of acute kidney injury include:

Slow blood flow caused by:

  • Blood or fluid loss
  • Burns
  • Heart attack or heart failure
  • Low blood pressure
  • Major surgery
  • Organ failure
  • Overuse of NSAID pain medicines (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen)
  • Severe allergic reactions

Conditions:

  • Certain kidney diseases or conditions, including hemolytic uremic syndrome
  • Multiple myeloma cancer (cancerous plasma cells)
  • Scleroderma (diseases that affect connective tissues that support internal organs)
  • Sepsis (life-threatening infection)
  • Inflamed blood vessels, or “vasculitis,” which can scar blood vessels, making them stiff, weak and narrow

Blockage of the urinary tract caused by:

  • Blood clots in the urinary tract
  • Cancer
  • Kidney stones
  • Nervous system problems that affect the bladder

Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury Doctors and Providers