In 1941, Beall et al described a case of acute kidney injury during world war II. They describe a course of rapidly progressive renal insufficiency with dark urine, edema, elevated potassium levels, and disorientation. In 1946, first hemodialysis was performed by Bywaters et al to treat acute kidney injury.

• In 1941, Beall et al described a case of acute kidney injury during world war II. They describe a course of rapidly progressive renal insufficiency with dark urine, edema, elevated potassium levels, and disorientation.^[1]
• The earliest definition came from Lucké in 1946 who described the histologic pathology we now know as acute tubular necrosis. The term lower nephron nephrosis was introduced and was later used to refer to abrupt renal failure secondary to excessive vomiting, thermal burns, crush injuries, hemolysis, and obstructive prostate disease.^[2][3]
• The term slowly drifted to become acute renal failure to depict a clinical syndrome rather than a pathologic finding.
• Acute renal failure was then replaced by acute kidney injury in 2006 following a consensus that even minor changes in serum creatinine not necessarily overt failure can lead to significant changes in outcome.

• In 1946, first hemodialysis was performed by Bywaters et al to treat acute kidney injury.^[4]
• Ultrafiltration technique was developed by Silverstein et al in 1967.^[5]
• Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration technique was introduced by Kramer et al in 1980. ^[6]