Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden decrease in kidney function. This means the kidneys can’t clean the blood or remove extra fluid as well as usual. This can lead to a buildup of waste products and fluid in the body. Over time, this could lead to a permanent loss of kidney function, which is called chronic kidney disease or CKD.

There are many things that may cause AKI, such as:

• Certain medicines, like:
  • Medicines used in imaging, such as contrast used for a CT scan
  • Pain and fever reducers such as ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil)
  • Medicines used to control blood pressure 
• Heart problems or heart surgeries
• Infections in the blood
• Problems with the liver
• Dehydration
• Blood loss
• Burns
• Blood clots to the kidneys
• Severe, uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Complicated birth

AKI does not hurt. Your child may not have any symptoms. It is possible to lose more than half of your kidney function before you notice any changes in your body. This can be dangerous since you may not see a doctor before your kidneys have been damaged. Regular follow-up care with your child’s kidney doctor will help prevent permanent damage to their kidneys.

Your child may have these tests to find out if they have AKI:

• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Ultrasounds – this is a test that uses sound waves to view and make
  pictures of your child’s kidneys
• X-rays

There is no cure for AKI. The goal of treatment is to prevent further damage to the kidneys. Here is what you can do to help keep your child’s kidneys healthy: 

• Check with the kidney doctor before giving your child:
  • Pain medicine, fever reducers and anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Advil and Motrin)
  • Blood pressure lowering drugs
  • Decongestants (such as Sudafed)
  • Antibiotics
  • Herbal products and nutritional supplements 
• Take your child to the doctor on a regular basis to keep their kidneys healthy and prevent CKD.

Regular follow-up care with the kidney doctor is very important to avoid permanent damage to your child’s kidneys (CKD). It is important for your child to have regular blood and urine tests to see how well their kidneys are working. Routine care will keep your child’s kidneys healthy and working well.

Check with the kidney doctor if your child is:

• Scheduled for surgery
• Prescribed an antibiotic
• Admitted to the hospital with an illness or infection
• Scheduled for a CT scan or MRI