What is the Meaning & Definition of kidney failure

Renal failure is a serious condition in which the kidney limited their ability to carry out its various functions, this may occur as a result of events acute dehydration or by a large number of associated chronic diseases.
The kidneys are two organs located deep within the abdomen on either side of the spine, they fulfill different functions including blood filtration to remove a large number of substances, minerals, drugs and toxins that will be removed from the body through the urine. The kidney is also the body to produce a hormone called erythropoietin, whose function is to stimulate the production of red blood cells at the level of the bone marrow as well as balance acid basic organism.
Renal failure is can be of two types, a form is acute renal failure that can occur in a few days as a result of the decrease of blood volume by conditions such as bleeding or severe dehydration States as well as by the use of drugs, especially anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids or NSAIDs and even for the development of a condition known as nephritis associated with infectious and allergic processes. This condition is characterized by the reduction or absence in the production of urine which may be accompanied by the presence of blood in the urine, elevation of a number of substances in the blood and increase in blood pressure. Acute renal failure is usually reversible if identified and their cause is treated properly.
Another type of renal failure chronic kidney failure, this occurs as a result of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and autoimmune disorders such as lupus. In these pathologies damage occurs gradually especially when patients do not receive treatment for these conditions or are not well controlled.
Unlike acute renal failure, chronic renal failure is a progressive and irreversible disease, in its initial stages is asymptomatic and is recognized only by laboratory studies that highlight the kidney failure to be increased levels of a substance called creatinine. In order to establish the extent of kidney damage, it is necessary to carry out special studies such as creatinine clearance in 24-hour urine, study that allows to calculate the glomerular filtration rate which is the main index of kidney function.
As kidney failure progresses symptoms occur as with edema fluid retention, shortness of breath by accumulation of fluid in the lungs, decreased hemoglobin levels causing a picture of anemia, decreased levels of calcium in the blood and increased levels of potassium.
At advanced stage renal failure is known as terminal chronic renal failure and is a serious condition in which to sustain life is necessary that the patient receives dialysis treatment to clean the blood of wastes and remove excess volume. Once dialysis begins this must be kept continuously three times per week from for life or until the patient received a kidney transplant.