[Acute kidney failure: age is not a factor in the prognosis]

The mortality of acute renal failure (ARF) remains distressingly high despite intensive dialysis and remarkable advances in critical care medicine. This lack of survival improvement may be due to an increased frequency of septic ARF and/or the association with multiple organ dysfunction. The role of age, as a factor indicative of a poor prognosis is a matter of controversy. To evaluate this role we have analysed the final outcome of 103 patients with ARF treated between october 1978 and february 1982 by one or more hemodialysis. The average age was 65.1 +/- 14.9 years (mean +/- standard deviation): 64 patients were over 65 years of age (74.7 +/- 10.2), 39 were under this age (47.5 +/- 14.4). Septic causes were found in 64 cases. Sixty eight patients (66%) died during the period of ARF. Mortality was 67% in patients under 65 years of age and 66% in patients over this age (p greater than 0.90). The outcome of septic ARF was independent of age (mortality rate: 79% for patients less than 65 years, 81% for patients greater than 65 years (p greater than 0.90)). The poor prognosis is probably related to multiple organ dysfunction and specially to acute respiratory distress (89% mortality). It can be concluded that patient's age does not worsen the prognosis of ARF.