Acute renal failure - A part of the syndrome of multiple organ failure or an independent event?

During a 5-year period, 59 patients with acute renal failure (ARF) which as a rule complicated an. underlying event (major surgery with consequential hemorrhage, sepsis, war wounds, etc.), were hospitalized at the Department of Surgery. During the same period, 63 patients with ARF as a sequela of various inflammatory processes and severe intoxication were hospitalized at Me Department of Medicine. Men were more frequently affected. In both groups of patients, the clinical syndrome of ARF most commonly occurred us part of multiple organ failure, first of all respiratory and circulation failure. In the surgical group of patients with ARF, the need of artificial ventilation was significantly higher. There was no significant difference in the number of hemodialysis sessions required until the restitution of renal function between the surgical and medical ARF survival. The failure of other organ systems (CNS, liver, coagulation) associated with ARF was less frequently observed. Mortality rate was higher in the surgical group of patients, but the difference was not statistically significant.