How do doctors know that I have had Acute Kidney Injury?

You have probably had a recent illness where you were unable to drink or eat properly, for example gastroenteritis, or after an operation. Your blood pressure may have been low and you had low urine output.

You will have had a blood test, which showed an increase in the level of creatinine, and from this the doctors will decide if you have had Acute Kidney Injury. Your urine will also have been tested as this may show damage with blood or protein in the test result.

Can anything make this worse?

Taking some tablets or medicines can make the situation worse. The family of medicines which are most associated with this are called ‘non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs’ (NSAIDs). The one most commonly used is ibuprofen, others include naproxen and diclofenac. These drugs reduce the blood supply to the kidneys, which can make Acute Kidney Injury worse.

All medicines which lower blood pressure, including diuretics (known as water tablets, such as Furosemide, Bumetamide and Spironolactone), can also make things worse and will usually be stopped when you are unwell.

Some tablets and medicines also have a direct toxic effect on the kidneys if your kidneys are not able to remove them from your blood, and these may also need to be stopped for a short while.

It is important that you understand which of your regular medicines may have an impact on your kidney function.

If you have diabetes

Some people have poor control of their diabetes when they are unwell and may need to start treatment with insulin. Many medications used to treat diabetes are removed from the body by the kidneys and so the levels can build up in the blood if the kidneys are not functioning properly, with the risk of side effects.

This particularly applies to Metformin and a family of medications called Sulphonylureas which include glibenclamide, glipizide and gliclazide.

Will my kidneys be damaged for ever?

With prompt treatment you may only have suffered mild kidney damage called Stage 1 Acute Kidney Injury. If you had healthy kidneys before the illness and no underlying health problems it is likely that your kidney function will improve and you should have no lasting problems.

If you were particularly unwell however, and had severe changes, then although you should have an improvement in your kidney function, it may not return to normal.

This is particularly an issue if you have previous evidence of kidney problems known as ‘Chronic Kidney Disease’. More severe Acute Kidney Injury is called Stage 2 or 3.