Acute renal insufficiency is often called "
lower nephron nephrosis." Its recognition, its prognostic significance, and its
therapy by conservative measures are receiving increasing clinical emphasis. The mortality rate in this complicated syndrome still remains unduly high. One method of
therapy of anuric patients whose lives are in jeopardy because of fulminating
uremia or critical
potassium intoxication is use of an
artificial kidney to "purify" the blood stream by means of
extracorporeal dialysis.The author describes clinical (and laboratory) experience with ten such dialyzed patients, eight of whom presented the classical picture of
acute renal insufficiency. Four died, one from unrecognized
coronary occlusion, another from antecedent, overwhelming
peritonitis. Two other patients with chronic kidney disorders received no benefit from dialysis and died of renal disease. Good biochemical and clinical response was brought about in six cases of
lower nephron nephrosis. Presumably, these six patients would have died had they not been subjected to artificial dialysis.