Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is frequent, and shows wide variation with regards to the spectrum, etio-pathogenesis and management strategies after natural (e.g., earthquakes) and man-made disasters (e.g., wars). The most important pathogenetic mechanisms in AKI during earthquakes are crush injury-related hypovolemia and myoglobinuria. Therefore, the most effective preventive measures are early and energetic fluid resuscitation (especially isotonic saline due to medical and logistic advantages) and also avoiding nephrotoxic medications. When preventive measures fail and intrarenal AKI develops, dialysis is lifesaving, with a preference towards intermittent hemodialysis due to medical and logistic advantages during disasters. During wars, the most important man-made disaster, prerenal, intrarenal and postrenal AKI may develop both at the battlefield and also in the field- or tertiary care-hospital setting. Overall, pathogenesis and management strategies of AKI in war victims are similar with those of AKI in general and in natural disasters. Logistic planning after disasters is vital for providing the most effective treatment. If patients cannot be coped with locally, either help should be asked from, or, alternatively, patients should be referred to, other regions or countries. Importantly, nephrology units in and around disaster-prone areas should be prepared for disasters for a sudden influx of AKI victims after disasters.