Vnitr Lek 2025, 71(7):415-423 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2025.077

What should an internist understand about acute kidney injury

Nadežda Petejová^{1, 2}, Josef Zadražil², Vladimír Teplan^{1, 3, 4}, Arnošt Martínek¹

¹ Interní a kardiologická klinika FN Ostrava a LF OU

² III. interní klinika - nefrologická, revmatologická a endokrinologická LF UP v Olomouci

³ Klinické a výzkumné centrum pro střevní záněty, Klinické centrum ISCARE, a. s., a 1. LF UK v Praze

⁴ Subkatedra nefrologie, IPVZ, Praha

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant concern in routine clinical practice, as it requires prompt and thorough differential diagnosis to identify its causes and initiate appropriate treatment. Patients with AKI are often heterogeneous, and their clinical presentation can be greatly affected by underlying conditions such as infections, heart failure, endocrine disorders, or diseases of the liver or lungs. This article aims to provide a rapid assessment for differential diagnosis across various internal medicine specialties, with the goal of enhancing the care of critically ill patients with AKI and achieving optimal recovery of renal function, ultimately reducing morbidity and mortality rates.

Keywords: acute kidney injury, hepatorenal syndrome, cardiorenal syndrome, nephrotoxicity, tubulointerstitial nephritis.

Accepted: October 16, 2025; Published: October 31, 2025  Show citation