Acute Kidney Injury: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Guide

What are the Common Causes of Acute Kidney Injury?

Acute kidney injury occurs when your kidneys experience a sudden decline in function over a short period. You face this risk when sudden factors place heavy strain or direct harm on kidney tissue.

Here are some of the causes of acute kidney injury:

• Low Blood Flow to the Kidneys: You face this when your body loses blood due to severe diarrhoea, burns, heavy blood loss, or poor heart output. Each of these reduces the blood supply to your kidneys.
• Severe Infection or Sepsis: A strong infection affects your whole body and disrupts kidney function. In such cases, your kidneys fail to filter waste products when your blood pressure drops to an extreme level.
• Heavy Medications: Drugs such as NSAIDs have a significant impact on the blood vessels of the kidneys. Moreover, continued use of such drugs affects the kidneys and can cause sudden kidney failure.
• Use of Contrast agents during scans: CT and angiography scans require the use of contrast materials such as aminoglycosides, antibiotics, and chemotherapy agents. Each such contrasts have a drastic effect on your kidneys.
  Blockages in Urinary Paths: Stones, prostate enlargement, ureter blockage, or tumours stop urine flow. Urine collects inside your kidneys and causes sudden injury.

Next, let’s understand the significant acute kidney injury symptoms which are common among patients.

Signs and Symptoms of AKI

In a recent study, researchers found that across 3,700 patients, around 34.7% of cases began with sepsis ². Therefore, acute kidney injury can show up subtly or have severe signs at the beginning, and it depends on the severity of damage.

Here are some of the common acute kidney injury symptoms that you must know:

• Peripheral oedema and weight gain are the initial findings for AKI, and predominant symptoms intensify with surgical complications that precipitate with renal deterioration.
• Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and myoclonic jerks are some of the common symptoms of uremia, which develop at the later stages of AKI. The condition intensifies with the excessive accumulation of nitrogenous products.
• Asterixis and hyperreflexia are significant symptoms of AKI. Moreover, chest pain is a common symptom of pericardial friction rub, which may cause dyspnea.
• Urine may be dark, a common sign of glomerulonephritis, and a palpable bladder is also common in outlet obstruction; this pattern also raises concern for chronic kidney disease (CKD).

With a clear understanding of AKI’s signs and symptoms, let’s explore diagnostic strategies for the condition.

How to Properly Diagnose AKI?

A recent study showcases that AKI has an in-hospital death rate of 19.09% among the patient groups ³. The high risk showcases the need for timely and accurate acute kidney injury diagnosis.

Here are some of the acute kidney injury diagnoses for the appropriate detection of the disease:

• Confirm criteria: Your doctor checks creatinine over fixed hours. A rise of 0.3 mg/dL in 48 hours meets the accepted limit. A rise to 1.5 times baseline in seven days also meets the limit. Urine volume below 0.5 mL/kg/h for 6 hours meets the criteria.
• Check history and examination: Your doctor asks about fever, diarrhoea, fluid loss, infection, chest pain, or drug intake. Pulse and pressure values guide volume status. Limb swelling and bladder fullness guide the search for blockage.
• Review core tests: A kidney panel shows creatinine, urea, electrolytes, and bicarbonate. A urine test may show blood, protein, white cells, or casts. Each clue points to a clear AKI pattern.
• Use ultrasound: A kidney–bladder scan shows size, cortical detail, and any system dilatation. This step helps your doctor spot stones, prostate issues, or tumours.
• Order advanced tests when needed: ANA, ANCA, complement levels, viral markers, and serum light chains help your doctor confirm immune causes. A biopsy is included in the plan when no clear cause is apparent.

Treatment and Clinical Interventions for AKI

Acute Kidney Injury requires prompt action when you experience fluid build-up or high potassium levels. Your doctor focuses on safe steps that control each urgent threat while your kidneys recover.

• Control pulmonary oedema: Your doctor may give oxygen, IV vasodilators such as nitroglycerin, and diuretics when fluid builds up in your lungs. Your doctor shifts to dialysis when medicines fail to clear the excess.
• Stabilise high potassium: Your doctor gives IV calcium gluconate, dextrose, and insulin to protect your heart. Your doctor then uses slower-acting agents such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate or starts dialysis when potassium levels remain high.
• Correct severe acidosis: Your doctor gives IV sodium bicarbonate when your pH stays below 7.20. Your doctor administers a slow infusion and checks your electrolyte gap at set intervals.
• Start dialysis for hard limits: Your doctor starts dialysis for potassium>6 mmol/L, fluid overload that fails medical management, acidosis that fails bicarbonate therapy, or uremic signs such as vomiting, asterixis, encephalopathy, or pericarditis. Haemodialysis may be included in the plan when rapid clearance is needed.
• Adjust your daily plan: Your doctor adjusts your tablet based on your kidney function. Your doctor may restrict water, sodium, phosphate, and potassium. Your doctor still provides enough protein and may add phosphate binders or gut potassium binders when needed.

Also read: Types of Dialysis: Exploring Options for Kidney Failure Treatment.

Prognosis of AKI for a Healthy Lifestyle

Recovery after Acute Kidney Injury depends on the cause, treatment response, and baseline kidney function. Doctors assess renal function at planned intervals and advise measures that lower the long-term risk of Chronic Kidney Disease. A specialised dialysis centre provides structured follow-up and short-term renal support when clinical needs arise.