Prevention and Management of Acute Renal Failure in Intensive Care Unit - An Overview

255 Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is a common and a potentially devastating disorder with a higher prevalence in the intensive care units. ARF occurs in 10 to 15% of critically ill patients with a mortality of 78 to 90%.1 The estimates can differ due to the lack of consensus on the definition of ARF itself. They can prove conservative in the face of the aging population with increased comorbidities and the increasing number of patients supported for multiorgan failure. Nevertheless, ARF is potentially reversible if appropriately managed and preventable with a better understanding of its etiology and pathophysiology. Various novel therapies have been experimented but their practical validity is yet to be established. Early dialysis along with aggressive supportive measures will enable us to reduce the mortality in ARF. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has its advantages in the hemodynamically unstable ARF. Yet, our approach should be primarily directed to prevent ARF.