An Overview of Acute Kidney Injury and Considerations for Treatment

An overview of renal failure & considerations for treatment Among critically ill and injured patients, maintaining homeostasis and preserving adequate organ function is always the primary objective of our care. However, the sequela of our most frequently encountered disease processes can greatly impact this goal. When derangements in homeostasis progress to organ dysfunction, patients can quickly become critically ill, with steadily increasing mortality rates. One of the first systems to derail because of critical illness are the kidneys. When renal dysfunction occurs as a result of an acute illness, an experienced, multidisciplinary team may be needed to effectively care for these patients. In many instances, these patients require very specialized critical care teams and advanced renal replacement therapies (RRTs) that can only be offered by tertiary and quaternary care centers. Most patients don't initially seek medical attention from one of these large, academic centers usually located in urban areas. The initial stages of these patients' care are provided at outlying community hospitals. The patients' illnesses have either progressed to a point where they've exhausted the resources and expertise available at the community hospital, or the patient was initially stabilized and prepared for transfer to one of these major centers at a later time. Regardless of the path taken, EMTs and paramedics will be called to bring their expertise to the table and assist in moving th...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care Source Type: news