Abstract

CAPOTE LEYVA, Eliseo et al. Characterization and incidence of acute renal failure in the Intensive Care Unit. Rev cubana med [online]. 2007, vol.46, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-302X.

Acute renal failure (ARF) has an annual incidence rate of 100 cases per one million habitants and a high financial cost. The results of a research work aimed at characterizing and determining the incidence of this condition in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) were put forward in this paper. A retrospective, descriptional and observational study was conducted, which included all those patients admitted to the hospital in one year and diagnosed with acute renal failure by attending physicians. Primary records of the ICU together with the patients´ medical histories provided required data. ARF prevailed in complex surgical cases, over 45 years age group, males and Caucasians. The highest incidence was observed in ventilated patients with serum creatinine values of 132-200 µmol/L and also, statistical significance was found in the ventilated patients. The commonest factors were sepsis and multiple organ failure whereas the main causes of death were shock, multiple organ failure and bacterial bronchial pneumonia. It was proved that ARF continues being a frequent entity in critical patients and that adequate care must be provided to patients with susceptibility of suffering it to contribute to their best clinical recovery.

Keywords : Acute renal failure; critical patient; incidence.