Acute arterial occlusion - kidney

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Kidney anatomy

Kidney - blood and urine flow

Kidney blood supply

Acute renal arterial thrombosis; Renal artery embolism; Acute renal artery occlusion; Embolism - renal artery

Often, patients do not need treatment. Blood clots may get better on their own over time.

If the blockage is discovered within a few hours, or if the affected kidney is the only working kidney, attempts may be made to open the artery.

Attempts to open the artery may include the use of clot-dissolving medications (thrombolytics) and medications that prevent the blood from clotting (anticoagulants), such as warfarin (Coumadin).

Some people may need to have the renal artery surgically repaired. Or, they may have the blockage removed with a tube called a catheter inserted into the artery.

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Treatment for acute kidney failure, such as temporary dialysis, may be needed.

Damage caused by arterial occlusion may be temporary, but it is usually permanent.

If only one kidney is affected, the healthy kidney may take over filtering the blood and producing urine. In cases where there is only one working kidney, arterial occlusion leads to acute kidney failure that often becomes chronic kidney failure.

• Acute kidney failure
• Chronic kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Malignant hypertension

Call your health care provider if you stop producing urine, or if you feel sudden, severe pain in the back, flank, or abdomen.

If you have only one functional kidney and you have symptoms of acute arterial occlusion, go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number, such as 911.

Review Date: 06/08/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Herbert Y Lin, MD, PhD, Nephrologist, Massachusetts General Hospital; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).