Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a sudden decline in kidney function within hours to weeks, leading to the retention of waste products. The RIFLE criteria categorizes severity into risk, injury, and failure based on serum creatinine levels and urine output. AKI has distinct etiologies and is associated with various classifications including prerenal, intrinsic, and postrenal causes, with complications affecting 5% of hospital admissions and 30% of intensive care units.