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Acute tubular necrosis

Alternative Names: Necrosis - renal tubular; ATN; Necrosis - acute tubular Symptoms: Urine output, decreased or none Generalized swelling, fluid retention Nausea, vomiting Decreased consciousness Drowsy, lethargic, hard to arouse Delirium or confusion Coma Note: Other symptoms of acute renal failure may also be present. Signs and tests: Text Continues Below Examination usually indicates acute renal failure. There may be signs of fluid overload, including abnormal sounds on listening to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope (auscultation). Urinalysis may show casts, renal tubular cells, and red blood cells. Urine sodium may be high. Fractional excretion of sodium and of urea may be relatively high. Urine specific gravity and osmolarity urine indicate dilute urine BUN and serum creatinine levels may increase. A kidney biopsy may show acute tubular necrosis, but a biopsy is rarely performed.

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