Perioperative management of renal dysfunction

Neither end-stage nor chronic renal failure are common, but patients with these conditions are significantly more likely to require planned surgical procedures. This contribution discusses the problems that accompany these conditions and strategies to avoid interfering with their treatment or precipitating a deterioration in renal function. It is not always obvious if the renal dysfunction is long-standing or has been precipitated by the surgical problem in patients presenting for emergency surgery who also have renal failure. This review discusses the diagnosis and management of acute renal failure in this setting.