ARF
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Acute renal failure |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical |
ARF has three meanings. The most common are Acute renal failure (nephrology & urology) and Acute respiratory failure (respiratory); it can also stand for Acute rheumatic fever.
Meanings of ARF at a glance
| # | ARF stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acute renal failure | Medical › Nephrology & Urology |
| 2 | Acute respiratory failure | Medical › Respiratory |
| 3 | Acute rheumatic fever | Medical › Infectious Disease |
1. Acute renal failure
Medical · Nephrology & Urology Abbreviations
Older term for a rapid loss of kidney function, now replaced in guidelines by acute kidney injury (AKI). It still appears in older records, textbooks and some billing language, generally describing severe injury rather than the mild end of the AKI spectrum.
Example: PMH: ARF in 2004 after rhabdomyolysis, fully recovered; baseline creatinine 0.9.
The shift to AKI emphasized that small creatinine rises matter and that "failure" is only the extreme. In infectious disease and cardiology ARF can instead mean acute rheumatic fever, and in respiratory medicine acute respiratory failure, so it is best spelled out. Pronounced as letters.
2. Acute respiratory failure
Medical · Respiratory Abbreviations
Sudden inability of the lungs to maintain adequate oxygen levels (type 1, hypoxemic, PaO2 below 60 mmHg) or to remove carbon dioxide (type 2, hypercapnic, PaCO2 above about 45 to 50 mmHg with acidosis). Causes include pneumonia, COPD exacerbations, pulmonary edema, ARDS and neuromuscular weakness.
Example: ARF with hypoxemia and hypercapnia from AECOPD; transferred to ICU for BiPAP.
Treatment includes supplemental oxygen, high-flow nasal oxygen, noninvasive ventilation or intubation, depending on type and severity. The distinction between hypoxemic and hypercapnic failure guides oxygen targets: COPD patients at risk of CO2 retention are commonly given oxygen to a target of 88 to 92 percent. In nephrology ARF means acute renal failure, now called acute kidney injury, and in cardiology acute rheumatic fever.
3. Acute rheumatic fever
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Autoimmune inflammatory illness that follows untreated group A streptococcal throat infection by two to four weeks, affecting the joints, heart, skin and brain. Repeated attacks can permanently damage heart valves, causing rheumatic heart disease.
Example: Migratory polyarthritis, elevated ASO and new mitral regurgitation: ARF by revised Jones criteria.
Diagnosis uses the Jones criteria, first published in 1944 and last revised by the American Heart Association in 2015. Long-term secondary prophylaxis with injected benzathine penicillin every three or four weeks prevents recurrences. ARF has become rare in high-income countries but remains common in parts of Africa, South Asia and Indigenous communities in Australia and New Zealand. In nephrology ARF means acute renal failure.
Related abbreviations
More nephrology & urology abbreviations
- ADPKD – Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
- AIN – Acute interstitial nephritis
- AKI – Acute kidney injury
- APD – Automated peritoneal dialysis
- ASB – Asymptomatic bacteriuria
- ATN – Acute tubular necrosis
- AVF – Arteriovenous fistula
- AVG – Arteriovenous graft
See all 71 nephrology & urology abbreviations →
More respiratory abbreviations
- AHRF – Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure
- APAP – Automatic positive airway pressure
- APRV – Airway pressure release ventilation
- ARDS – Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- ATS – American Thoracic Society
- BAL – Bronchoalveolar lavage
- BiPAP – Bilevel positive airway pressure
- BOOP – Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.