What does anuria mean?
Anuria is a medical term denoting the complete or near-complete failure of the kidneys to produce urine, conventionally defined as a daily output of less than about 100 millilitres in an adult. It is not a disease in itself but a serious clinical sign that demands urgent investigation, since it may indicate acute kidney injury, severe dehydration, shock, or a physical blockage of the urinary tract such as stones or tumours. Physicians typically classify anuria as prerenal (inadequate blood flow to the kidneys), renal (damage to the kidneys themselves), or postrenal (obstruction of urine outflow), because each category calls for different treatment. The word derives from Greek roots meaning 'without' and 'urine', and it sits at the extreme end of a spectrum that includes oliguria, or diminished urination. Because untreated anuria allows toxic waste products to accumulate in the blood, it is regarded as a potential emergency requiring prompt medical attention.
nounThe complete failure of the kidneys to produce urine, defined medically as a urinary output of less than about 100 millilitres per day in an adult. It is a serious clinical sign of kidney dysfunction or urinary tract obstruction.
- The complete or near-complete cessation of urine production by the kidneys, a medical emergency sign associated with acute kidney injury, obstruction, or severe dehydration.
"The patient's anuria prompted an urgent ultrasound to check for a blockage in the urinary tract."
"After the contrast dye was administered, the patient developed anuria, raising concern for acute kidney injury."
"Prolonged anuria leads to a dangerous buildup of waste products in the bloodstream."
Rarely pluralized; the term is nearly always used as an uncountable mass noun referring to the condition.
"The case series reviewed several distinct causes of anurias observed in the ward."
A healthy adult makes over a litre of urine a day — someone with anuria makes less than a coffee cup's worth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anuria
Anuria comes from New Latin, built on Greek elements: the prefix an-, meaning 'without', combined with ouron, the Greek word for urine. The same root ouron underlies a whole family of medical terms, including dysuria (painful urination), enuresis (bedwetting), and diuretic (a substance that promotes urine production). The term entered English medical vocabulary in the nineteenth century as modern clinical nephrology took shape, and it remains standard in medical usage worldwide.
How anuria is actually used
Strictly a medical term used in clinical and technical contexts rather than everyday speech. Clinicians distinguish it from oliguria (reduced output) and classify its cause as prerenal, renal, or postrenal.
Easily confused with anuria
Anorexia is loss of appetite, whereas anuria is the absence of urine production.
Oliguria is reduced urine output (typically under 400 ml/day), while anuria is the near-total absence of urine output.