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Acute Kidney Injury: Doctors Warned About Condition

The NHS has issued a patient safety alert warning doctors to spot and stop a potentially fatal kidney condition, Sky News has learned.

More than 500,000 people a year in England suffer a sudden and severe drop in the organ's ability to filter toxins blood and produce urine.

The condition - called acute kidney injury (AKI) - causes more than 40,000 deaths annually, 13,000 of which could have been prevented if patients had been diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

NHS Improvement, the body responsible for cascading safety alerts to medics, warned that there is low awareness of symptoms such as swelling of the legs, breathlessness, loss of appetite and lethargy.

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The symptoms may be overlooked if they are mild and patients can be misdiagnosed because they could be caused by other conditions.

Doctors say anyone who is acutely ill should have a simple blood test to check whether AKI is the underlying cause.

Dr Mike Durkin, NHS national director for patient safety, said: "This cause of harm is not known by the public or indeed not always recognised by clinical staff."

The elderly and people with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, and patients who develop bloodstream infections, are more vulnerable to the condition.

He warned that dehydration can also raise the risk of the condition, including in healthy people.

"During the summer months it is even more important for people to keep hydrated and recognise how to keep healthy, and for clinical staff to be alert to any signs of kidney problems in patients," he said.

Andrew Quille suddenly became ill with AKI last month. He developed severe pain and swollen ankles - and rapidly deteriorated.

He was admitted to intensive care and doctors say he is lucky to be alive.

"You feel absolutely dreadful," he said.

"You can't function. Going to the toilet and eating - you can't do it.

"People think if you have a heart attack, that's a big thing.

"Kidneys are no different. If your kidneys fail your body is failing."

Chris Laing, consultant kidney specialist at the Royal Free Hospital, said up to 15% of patients admitted to hospital may have acute kidney injury.

He said: "Many patients, even if they survive hospital, are faced with an extended length of stay, more complications and a significant number end up with chronic kidney damage which confers life-long health problems.

"It's important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment early on."