[Isolated acute renal failure is not associated to an increase in mortality of patients in intensive care units].

This study assess the prognostic factors increasing mortality of patients with acute renal failure in intensive care units. The study included 923 patients admitted to the intensive care unit over a period of two years. Acute renal failure was defined by the following criteria, a blood urea concentration of more than 30 mmol/l, a serum creatinine concentration of more than 180 micromol/l or creatinine clearance less than 50 ml/min. Patients were divided into two groups survivors (V) and dead patients (D). 95 patients presented acute renal failure with a mortality rate of 57.9%. There was no difference between the two groups. There was no difference between the two groups. Patients in intensive care units with only acute renal failure doesn't have a worse prognosis, but the association to two or more other organ dysfunction's, mechanical ventilation of more that 12 days, sepsis or Glasgow coma scale less than 8 are predictive of mortality.