OBJECTIVE: To identify the characteristics of patients with acute renal failure (ARF), polytrauma victims hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 357 records of patients with ARF in the period of 2002 to 2003. These patients presented a creatinine index of 1.8 to 4 mg/dl. Of these patients, 10.6% in the ICU were polytrauma victims. RESULTS: Of the 38 (10.6%) patients with ARF and polytrauma victims, 78.9% of were males; 47.3% were aged between 16 and 45 years; 84.3% presented oliguria; 92.1% received no treatment for ARF during hospitalization; 50% remained from one to five days in the ICU; 47.3% had not presented any underlying disease and mortality occurred in 50%. CONCLUSION: Daily control of the renal function in polytrauma victims is important to prevent ARF complications and consequent mortality.
Renal insufficiency, acute; Intensive care units; Multiple trauma