Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a sudden decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) occurring over hours to days, resulting in accumulation of nitrogenous waste products (creatinine, urea), fluid imbalance, electrolyte derangements, and metabolic acidosis. AKI is defined by the KDIGO criteria: rise in serum creatinine ≥26.5 µmol/L within 48 hours, rise ≥1.5× baseline within 7 days, or urine output <0.5 mL/kg/hr for ≥6 hours. Missing early AKI allows progression to anuria, hyperkalemia with fatal dysrhythmias, and pulmonary edema — all preventable with proactive monitoring. Top 3 nursing priorities: 1. Monitor urine output hourly in at-risk patients (post-surgical, septic, receiving nephrotoxins) — output <0.5 mL/kg/hr for 2 consecutive hours requires immediate MD notification and creatinine/BMP reassessment 2. Identify and correct the underlying cause (hypovolemia, obstruction, nephrotoxin) before irreversible tubular necrosis occurs — the renal ischemia window is approximately 2 hours 3. Monitor serum potassium every 4–6 hours in established AKI — K⁺ >6.0 mEq/L with ECG changes (peaked T waves, widened QRS) is a medical emergency requiring emergent intervention Common NCLEX trap: AKI from dehydration (prerenal) presents with concentrated urine (specific...