Clinical features

Possible clinical features include:

• oliguria or anuria
  
  
• uraemia:
  • nausea and vomiting
  • anorexia
    
    
• confusion
  
  
• fluid retention:
  • peripheral oedema
  • increasing breathlessness - pulmonary oedema, pleural effusions
    
    
• if the patient is volume depleted then postural hypotension and dehydration may be noted
  
  
• frequently non-oliguric acute renal failure is first noticed because of symptoms of electrolyte abnormality

Other clinical features may relate to the cause of the renal failure for example:

• drug hypersensitivity - generalised rash and polyarthropathy
• rhabdomyolysis - muscle pain, for example, heroin abuse
• Goodpasture's syndrome - dyspnoea and haemoptysis
• malignant hypertension or diabetes - retinal changes
• hepatorenal failure - jaundice and stigmata of liver disease