Acute Kidney FailureAccording to medline plus, “Acute kidney failure is the rapid loss of the kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in the body. In this case, rapid means less than 2 days.” (Silberberg) In acute renal failure, there are 3 different causes: pre-renal, intrarenal and post-renal. In the pre-renal phase it occurs when a sudden reduction in blood flow to the kidney (renal hypoperfusion) causes a loss of kidney function. " (Thompson) (WebMD) According to WebMD, in this case there is nothing actually wrong with the kidney and it is also the most common cause of acute kidney disease. Intrarenal in acute renal failure "occurs when direct damage to the kidneys causes a sudden loss of kidney function." (Thompson) Post-renal occurs when there is some sort of blockage in the urinary tract. When this happens, it causes excess waste to build up in the kidneys, sometimes in both. ( Personal) When determining whether or not someone has acute kidney failure, there can be many signs that can help diagnose it is how much urine the body is excreting required a urine test by a doctor. When acute kidney failure is suspected, your doctor may also ask you to do a blood test to check if your creatinine and urea levels are high it is an imaging test. An imaging test consists of an ultrasound or CT scan so your doctor can see inside your kidneys. To determine kidney failure, your doctor may also insert a needle into your kidney to take a sample and determine whether or not it is diagnosed. (nd)There may be many indications of acute renal failure and...... half of the article......//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000501.htmStaff, H . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/postrenal-acute-renal-failureThe National Kidney Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dialysisinfo.cfmThompson, E. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/prerenal-acute-renal-failureThompson, G. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/intrinsic-acute-renal-failureW. Smith, M., Chang, L., & Nazario, B. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/acute-renal-failure-topic-overview(nd). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuria(nd). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliguria(nd). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uremia(nd). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azotemia