RT Book, Section A1 Lam, Albert Q. A1 Seifter, Julian L. A2 McKean, Sylvia C. A2 Ross, John J. A2 Dressler, Daniel D. A2 Brotman, Daniel J. A2 Ginsberg, Jeffrey S. SR Print(0) ID 56195060 T1 Chapter 57. Assessment and Evaluation of the Renal Patient T2 Principles and Practice of Hospital Medicine YR 2012 FD 2012 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-160389-8 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=56195060 RD 2024/03/28 AB The kidneys are responsible for a number of vital homeostatic processes, including the excretion of nitrogenous waste products, the regulation of fluid volume and electrolytes, acid–base balance, and the production of hormones important for blood pressure regulation, erythropoiesis, and bone metabolism. They are frequently affected by disease, both acute (occurring over days to weeks) and chronic (occurring over months to years), and the prevalence and incidence of these disease processes in the United States and globally are rising. Acute kidney injury (AKI), formerly known as acute renal failure, has become an increasingly common cause of hospitalization with an incidence of 5–7% among hospitalized patients. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) reportedly affects 13% of adults in the United States1 and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and high costs of hospitalization. Furthermore, the recent advent of automatic reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with serum creatinine by hospital laboratories has resulted in more patients being identified as having impaired renal function. In order to provide the highest level of care for patients presenting with acute or CKD, the clinician should have a strong understanding of the fundamental issues relevant to their evaluation and management.