Autopsy findings in postoperative acute renal failure patients, collected from the annuals of pathological autopsy cases in Japan.

Autopsy findings in post-surgical acute renal failure cases were studied in 131 cases on diaysis collected from annuals of pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan (1958-1981). Fifty (38.2%) abdominal and 48 (36.6%) cardiovascular operative procedures were the origins of the 131 post-operative acute renal failure patients treated by dialysis. The incidence of acute tubular necrosis was 68.7 per cent. There were 13 non-obstetric cases (19.9%) of acute bilateral cortical necrosis. Direct causes of death in postsurgical acute renal failure patients were mainly infection (61.7%) and bleeding (21.0%) The incidence of patients with infectious disease complicating postsurgical acute renal failure was 60.3 per cent and the rate of those between 20 and 70 years of age was constant. The incidence of patients with bleeding was 45.0 per cent and no significant differences were seen in the 20-70 year age range.