Both acute and chronic renal failure are different with same result that is loss of kidney function. Acute renal failure is the sudden loss of kidney function to remove waste from the blood and concentrate urine. Chronic renal failure is result of a chronic kidney disease during which kidney function is lost slowly over a long period of time.
Acute renal failure is usually the result of trauma, haemorrhage, burns or toxic injury to the kidneys. It may also result from a lower urinary tract obstruction. In other words it results directly from injury or other acute homeostatic imbalance. It has three phases; prodromal, oliguric and postoliguric. Acute renal failure can often be reversed. Chronic renal failure is a result from other diseases. Early symptoms include sluggishness, fatigue and mental dullness. Later symptoms can include anuria, convulsions, GI bleeds, malnutrition and various other neurpathies. Common complications include congestive heart failure or hypertension. Greater amounts of urea in urine and a constant amount of urine, regardless of fluid intake, is common. Anaemia is common. The prognosis depends on underlying cause. Often, after medical measures are exhausted, hemodialysis is used and eventually, kidney transplant is the only option.
