Acute renal failure requiring dialysis--a 5 year series

A retrospective review of 246 patients with established acute renal failure (ARF) needing dialysis from 1990-1994 is reported from Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Bahru. Peritoneal dialysis was more commonly used than haemodialysis or haemofiltration. Patients on mechanical ventilation in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who were hypercatabolic and fluid overloaded were treated with haemofiltration. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.5:1. The majority were Malays (61.4%). Most patients were from the district of Johor Bahru, but 41.5% were from other districts in the Johor state. The mean age was 47.1 years (SD 18.2). The ARF was caused by acute tubular necrosis in 55.3%, post-renal obstruction in 22.8%, nephrotoxins in 5.7% and other causes in 16.2%. The proportions of patients referred from the medical, surgical and obstetric and gynaecology units were 50.8%, 45.5% and 3.7% respectively. The mortality rate was 48%. Patients with established ARF should be dialysed early as they tolerate uraemia poorly. Prevention is by prompt treatment of patients with sepsis, avoidance of hypovolaemia and nephrotoxic drugs.