Prospective study of acute renal failure in a general hospital

A prospective study of acute renal failure (ARF) over a three month period showed that 60 out of 22,033 inpatients developed AR"F (Serum creatinine exceeding 0.200 mmol/L). The ARF was oliguric in 22% and nonoliguric in 78%. Poor cardiac output or diminished intravascular volume, nephrotoxins and infections were the main aetiological factors associated with ARF in 85% of cases. Mean peak serum creatinine and blood urea values were higher in the oliguric than the non oliguric group. The oliguric group required dialysis more frequently (53.8% vs 4.3%) and had a higher mortality (53.8% vs 8.5%) than the non oliguric group. Nonoliguric ARF occurs more commonly and has a better prognosis than oliguric ARF. Acute renal failure is a serious condition with significant mortality and remains a frequent occurrence in the setting of large general hospitals. A Previous reports on acute renal failure in Kuala Lumpur comprised patients treated at the Department of Nephrology at the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur, but did not include patients with acute renal failure treated at other departments in the hospital. This report is based on a prospective study of acute renal failure occurring in the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur over a three-month period to evaluate the clinical spectrum of this disease, and its outcome.