The characteristics of acute renal failure in cardiogenic shock in the elderly.

Four patients are presented aged over 65 years in whom a state of cardiogenic shock was present due to myocardial infarction of the following localization: anterior in two and posterior in two. According to the parameters all patients satisfied the criteria of cardiogenic shock. Of the four patients three died. In all patients parameters of renal lesion were analyzed after establishment of diureses: sodium in urine, creatinine quotient in urine and plasma, osmolality of urine, osmolality quotient of urine and plasma, the renal failure index and the excretional fraction of filtered sodium. The parameters quoted were analyzed the day after diuresis was established. All parameters, apart from sodium in urine, indicated functional oliguria. In corroboration of this were the values of creatinine clearance which were determined the day after establishing diuresis, amounting in all patients to more than 20 ml/min./1.73 m2, i.e. ranging from 20.6 to 59.0 ml/min./1.73 m2. Of the cases which ended fatally all had fibroses and myocardial scars, apart from recent infarction of the myocardium, generalized atherosclerosis particularly of the coronary arteries, and in all patients hypertrophy of the left ventricle and dilatation of the whole heart. In one patient anaemic infarction of one kidney was found and in another acute tubular necrosis (with the renal failure index of 0.3 and the excretional fraction of filtered sodium of 0.2), while in third patient no renal changes were found.