Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden drop in kidney function so the kidneys do not work as well as they should. They are not able to get rid of extra water and waste products from the body. The damage to your kidneys can be mild or severe enough that they can no longer keep you well.
‘Acute’ means it happens over a short period of time. AKI can happen over a few days or a few weeks.
It often happens as a complication of another condition.
Acute kidney injury does not mean that the kidneys have been injured in the same way you can hurt other parts of your body (for example, by falling over or getting hit).
AKI is usually temporary. Some children get better after a few weeks, without treatment. Others need to take medicines or have more intensive treatment. For a few children AKI means that renal replacement therapy is needed, where machines take over the work of the kidneys. It is therefore important that AKI is detected early and closely monitored.
AKI is not the same as chronic kidney disease (CKD). If AKI doesn't completely get better, this can then be called chronic kidney disease. CKD can be slowed or managed with treatment.
AKI can happen in people of all ages.