Acute kidney injury treatment

A wide range of things can cause acute kidney injury. The most common is not having enough blood supply to the kidney. This is caused by conditions such as dehydration, severe infection (sepsis), blood loss or very low blood pressure. There are also medicines that may damage the kidney, such as ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories, certain antibiotics like gentamicin. These are more likely to cause damage if there is already an underlying kidney problem. The kidney may also be damaged if there is something blocking the urine from leaving the kidney, such as a kidney stone. It is also possible for the kidney itself to become infected – this is known as pyelonephritis.

In some cases, other medical conditions such as heart problems can cause a problem with the kidneys, and there is sometimes a risk to the kidneys after major surgery.

Symptoms of an acute kidney injury can include nausea, diarrhoea, producing less urine than usual and confusion. It is possible for acute kidney injuries to develop into chronic kidney problems.

What we offer

Here at the Royal Free Hospital Private Patients Unit (PPU), we are proud to offer access to leading specialists in renal medicine who work within an experienced multidisciplinary team. We are dedicated to delivering the highest standards of care to our patients. We offer access to a wide range of expertise for the management of CKD and related conditions. We also have a fully-equipped, 7-chair dialysis unit.

Our dedicated renal medicine team are experts in their field and have many years of experience treating kidney failure at the leading kidney units within the UK. Our consultant team have a range of specialist interests, including kidney transplantation, managing critical illness, chronic renal failure and kidney problems in pregnancy.

We are committed to reinvesting all the profits from our private services directly back into NHS services. We deliver the professional excellence you would expect from a top London NHS teaching hospital with the convenience, comfort and personalised attention of a private hospital.