Acute Renal Failure and Nursing Care

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Introductions Throughout our body we have many majors organs and each organ has a major function on our body. One of the major organs of the urinary system is the kidneys. We have 2 reddish brown, fist size, bean shaped kidneys in our body located on the anterior side by the lower edge of the ribs on either side of the spinal cord. The major function of your kidneys is to filter the blood to remove waste products, helps balance water, salt, electrolytes and forms urine. There must be an adequate blood supply in order for the kidneys to function properly. When your kidneys suddenly shut down and stop working it’s called acute renal failure. Acute renal failure is the most common leading deaths in hospitals today.
Pathophysiology There are three different stages of acute renal failure; prerenal, intrarenal, and post renal. Prerenal failure is a result from an illness or injury that causes obstruction of blood flow to the kidneys, called hypoperfusion. Hypotension, hypervolemia and inadequate cardiac output are all examples that could cause prerenal failure. According to Lippincott Williams and Wilkins (2009), “prerenal azotemia, excess nitrogenous waste products in the blood, account for 40% to 80% of all cases of acute renal failure” (p. 307). Intrarenal is when there is direct damage to the kidney tissue by either inflammations, drugs, infections or a reduction in the blood supply to the kidney. Post renal is when there is an obstruction of the urine flow. Causes of obstruction could be enlarged prostate gland, kidney stones, bladder tumor or injury. There are four phases of acute renal failure; onset, oliguria, diuresis and recovery. The onset phase can last hours or up to days. The BUN and creatinine levels may start to increas...

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Short / Long Term Nursing Goals As a nurse, our goal is to help the patient get through everyday life without complications. Within the first six months, as a nurse I would want to make sure that the patient would have normal fluid and electrolyte levels. I would also want to make sure that the patients pain will decrease to a level that is tolerated. I would have the patient see a dietitian to help them make a diet plan for adequate nutrition. And most of all I would want to push fluids to increase urine production to make sure the kidneys are perfusing. Goals that would carry out of the six month period would be maintain homeostasis. I would also advise the patient to attend support groups and hear about what others have to say who are or were going through the same illness and maybe they can learn something on how they got through everyday life.

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