Renal SystemADOLFO VINICIO GIRONMed 2049 Fluid and Electrolyte Balance and the Renal System, FTZInstructor MICHELLE EARIXSON- LAMOTHEN NOVEMBER 28, 2013 Explain the pathophysiology of acute renal failure. Include prerenal, intrarenal, and postrenal causes: Acute renal failure (ARF) is a sudden loss of kidney capacity. The ability to expel waste is lost, the kidneys are unable to concentrate urine, they are unable to regulate the acid-base balance of blood fluids, they lose the ability to regulate red blood cells due to lack of oxygen, they lose ability to conserve electrolytes and are unable to maintain fluid balance. There are three causes of acute kidney failure; Prerenal, intrarenal and postrenal. First, prerenal affects the flow of blood before it reaches the kidneys, for example: it causes dehydration which leads to vomiting, diarrhea and blood loss. Causes a dramatic drop in blood pressure caused by an infection in the bloodstream that causes blood vessels to not relax, blockage/narrowing of a blood vessel that carries blood to the kidneys, and causes liver failure that affects blood flow and pressure on the kidney if there is a change in hormones. Second, intrarenal, also known as intrinsic, causes inflammation and impaired kidney function. The last one is the postrenal which causes obstruction of urinary flow. The most common causes are tumors, benign prostatic hypertrophy, kidney stones, prostate cancer and neurogenic bladder. If you suffer from one of these problems, you cannot pass urine normally. What diagnostic tests would be used to diagnose acute renal failure? How do these tests change as kidney failure progresses through its 3 stages? Discuss, compare and contrast the 3 phases. There are several diagnostic tests that can be done to check if you have kidney failure and these tests may include serum creatinine, an increase in the amount of creatinine in the blood is usually the first sign