Acute kidney injury
Disease Information
Overview
An important part of our success has been the fact that we're always asking ourselves "Is this the best we can do? Are there new things that we can do? Can we change things? Can we take the approach we're using and make it better? Can we take a brand new approach to these things?"
William Harmon, MD, medical director, Kidney Transplant Program
There are several things that might make your child’s kidneys suddenly stop working, including infections, disruption of blood flow, surgery, as well as exposure to medications or other substances that are toxic to the kidneys. This is known as acute kidney injury (AKI).
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AKI is often caused by a sudden decrease in blood and/or oxygen flow to your child’s kidneys.
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Symptoms may appear over the course of hours or days.
- While AKI typically requires your child to stay in the hospital, it’s very treatable, and in the vast majority of cases, a child’s kidneys recover.
The Children’s Hospital Boston approach
Our Division of Nephrology is the largest pediatric nephrology service in the United States. We care for patients with a wide range of kidney disorders, and we are home to the biggest kidney transplant program in New England dedicated to caring for kids.
Our seven-bed dialysis unit is the only full-service pediatric dialysis unit in New England. If your child requires dialysis, our dialysis nurses, dieticians, tutors and Child Life specialists will do everything they can to make sure your child is comfortable during her treatments. Read more about dialysis.
Our compassionate caregivers know that your child is a person, not just a patient, and we provide support services for your child and your family throughout all stages of treatment and recovery.
| Children’s ranked first in treating kidney disorders |
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Children's has been ranked first in treating kidney disorders in the U.S.News and World Report's August 2010 edition of America’s Best Children's Hospitals. |
Acute kidney injury: Reviewed by William Harmon, MD
© Children’s Hospital Boston, 2010
