Distinguishing acute and chronic renal failure
When a patient presents with renal failure the clinician should attempt to distinguish acute from chronic renal disease.
The following characteristics make chronic renal failure more likely:
- ill health in the previous few months
- poor urine concentration for months e.g. nocturia, polyuria and thirst
- normochromic anaemia
- stunted growth
- a history of nephritic or nephrotic syndromes
- isolated hypertension
- diabetes mellitus
- renal calculi
- shrunken kidneys
- polycystic kidneys
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