Acute Renal Failure: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Acute renal failure is usually diagnosed during a hospitalization for another cause. About 30% of people diagnosed with acute renal failure are in an intensive care unit (ICU).¹

Call your doctor immediately if you have not urinated at all in the last 24 hours.

Call your doctor to schedule an appointment if you:

• Are having trouble urinating.
• Have blood in your urine.
• Are consistently urinating much less than normal.
• Have signs of chronic kidney disease, such as weight loss, nausea and vomiting, swelling, or feeling very tired.

Watchful Waiting

A wait-and-see approach is not appropriate for acute renal failure. If you have been diagnosed with or could have acute renal failure, you need to be treated. Your doctor will take steps to increase blood flow to your kidneys and support the kidneys until they begin working normally.

Who To See

The following health professionals can diagnose acute renal failure:

• Family medicine physician
• Internist
• Pediatrician
• Kidney specialist (nephrologist)
• Nurse practitioner
• Physician assistant

Depending on how bad your acute renal failure is, you may be treated by a nephrologist or an internist. If you are in an intensive care unit (ICU) when renal failure is diagnosed, you will probably be treated by a nephrologist.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

Last updated:	June 14, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, D.C. Mendelssohn, MD, FRCPC - Nephrology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC