Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Baraldi, A.
Right arrow Articles by Lusvarghi, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Baraldi, A.
Right arrow Articles by Lusvarghi, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Vol 13, Issue 90007 25-29, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Acute renal failure of medical type in an elderly population

A Baraldi, M Ballestri, , , L Lucchi, P Borella, M Leonelli, L Furci and E Lusvarghi
Departments of Nephrology and Biomedical Science-Hygiene, University of Modena, Policlinico, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy; Corresponding author

One hundred and nine unselected patients with Acute Renal Failure (ARF) of medical aetiology were hospitalized at the Nephrological Unit of the Policlinico University Hospital (Modena) during a 30-month period. ARF was considered as a rapid increase of serum creatinine > 2mg/dl over the baseline level or the doubling of pre-existing value in chronic renal failure. Mean age of patients was 67 ± 17 years and median age was 72; 64.2% needing dialytic treatment. Four main causes of ARF were identified: 33 patients had reduced renal perfusion by dehydration, hypotension etc.; 20 multifactorial aetiology; 14 biopsy-investigated renal parenchymal diseases and 39 had drug-related acute renal failure (D-ARF). The clinical outcome was significantly worse in elderly patients as regard mortality P<0.04) and complete recovery (P<0.004). The mean age of D-ARF patients was significantly greater than remaining ARF patients (72.6±12.8 vs 63.2±18.5: P<0.004). Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and ACE-inhibitors (Ace-i) caused ARF in 24 and 8 patients respectively. Elderly age, vascular disease and monoclonal gammopathy represented the main risk factors and were significantly more frequent in D-ARF patients (P<001, <0.01, <0.04 respectively) Our data confirm the high susceptibility of ageing kidneys to nephrotoxic damage caused by drugs affecting glomerular autoregulation by microvascular mechanisms. Greater attention to renal changes in ageing and an increased dissemination of preventative measures among nephrologists, could reduce the incidence of these serious and potentially lethal diseases.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.