Human renal allograft blood flow and early renal function.

Renal allograft blood flow (RBF) was measured at operation by electromagnetic flow meter and probes in 45 patients (34 cadaver donors and 11 living related donors). Mean RBF in 26 patients without acute tubular necrosis (ATN), was 412 +/- 80 ml/min and in 19 patients with ATN, 270 +/- 100 ml/min (p less than .001). Only two of 24 transplants (8%) with RBF greater than 350 ml/min had ATN; whereas, 17 of 21 transplants (81 per cent) with RBF less than 350 ml/min had ATN (p less than .001). In cadaver donor transplants, RBF did not correlate with duration of ATN, warm ischemia time, total ischemia time, pulsatile perfusion time or renal vascular resistance during perfusion. Measurement of renal allograft blood flow can predict presence or absence of postoperative ATN in 87% of patients.