Objective  To research the pathogenesis,clinical types and therapeutic effects of acute renal failure.Method  All eighty-eight patients with acute renal failure(ARF) treated by hemodialysis were analyzed retrospectively in our hospital for last more than 4 years,and the etiology,clinical types of ARF and the clinical outcome of treatment were summarized.Results  ARF patients with pre-renal reasons were 78  41%,single renal cortex and/or medullary disease leading to ARF were 20  45%,post-renal reason was only 1.14%;ARF induced by drugs were 20  45%,the main drugs were aminoglycosides(13/18);mortality rate was 30  97%,but the complete recovery rate was only 37  5%.Conclusion  Clinical doctors must be careful observe the patients complications decrasing signs of the blood volume and supplementing blood volume in timely to avoid renal ischemia,these treatment may prevent ARF and kidney lesion induced by drugs,but the prognosis of patients with hemodialysis in ARF is not good.