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Oliguria

Kidney, Urology and Women's Health · NLM MeSH · updated 2026-11-04 · version 1

Citations verified against PubMedNot yet clinician-reviewed10 referencesApproximately 5 min read

Decreased urine output that is below the normal range.

Table of Contents

1. Definition2. Research landscape3. Reading the evidence4. Open-access studies5. Key reviews6. References7. About this article

Definition and research guide

This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.

Content available: 4 complete abstracts (1,006 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.

Definition

Decreased urine output that is below the normal range. Oliguria can be defined as urine output of less than or equal to 0.5 or 1 ml/kg/hr depending on the age.

Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.

Also known as: Oligurias.

Where it fits in the MeSH classification

Broader topics
Urination Disorders; Urological Manifestations

Related concepts

  • Urine

Research landscape

PubMed indexes 1,398 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Oliguria” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 95 of them (6.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 864 records.

Reviews account for 131 records (9.4%) and meta-analyses for 7. Randomized controlled trials number 35 (2.5%) as a share of all records on the topic.

PubMed records by publication periodthrough 1999: 864 records; 2000-2009: 180 records; 2010-2019: 259 records; 2020 onward: 95 records864through 19991802000-20092592010-2019952020 onward
Records in PubMed indexed with this heading, by publication period. Real counts from NCBI E-utilities; the final period covers only part of the current year. Volume reflects how much has been published, not how strong the evidence is.
Show the data
PeriodRecords
through 1999864
2000-2009180
2010-2019259
2020 onward95
Share of records by publication typeReviews: 9.4 percent; Meta-analyses: 0.5 percent; Randomized controlled trials: 2.5 percentReviews9.4% (131)Meta-analyses0.5% (7)Randomized controlled trials2.5% (35)
Share of all PubMed records on this heading that carry each publication type. Types overlap with other records, so the shares do not sum to 100%.
Publication-type chart data
Publication types among 1,398 PubMed records
TypeRecordsShare
Reviews1319.4%
Meta-analyses70.5%
Randomized controlled trials352.5%

Method: PubMed query "Oliguria"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.

Reading the evidence in kidney, urology and women's health

Kidney, urinary and reproductive health research uses lab markers (such as creatinine), imaging, symptom scores and registry data on pregnancy and birth. Findings about pregnancy are especially sensitive to who was studied and when in pregnancy exposure occurred. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment, fertility or pregnancy; speak to a qualified clinician. Check the population, the outcome measured and whether the study accounted for other health differences between groups.

Evidence from open-access studies

These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.

Study comparison — selected abstracts, not a systematic review
Study / authorsYearSource label / designEurope PMC citationsLicence / source
Machine learning for the prediction of volume responsiveness in patients with oliguric acute kidney injury in critical care
Zhang Z, Ho KM, Hong Y
2019Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
247cc by
PMID 30961662 · DOI · PMC6454725
Oliguria as predictive biomarker of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients
Prowle JR, Liu YL, Licari E, Bagshaw SM, Egi M, Haase M, et al.
2011Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
169cc by
PMID 21771324 · DOI · PMC3387614
Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery using either criteria of the RIFLE classification
Lagny MG, Jouret F, Koch JN, Blaffart F, Donneau AF, Albert A, et al.
2015Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
120cc by
PMID 26025079 · DOI · PMC4448315
Initial lactate levels linked to oliguria in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia
Zhang Y, Zeng H
2024Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
5cc by
PMID 38413449 · DOI · PMC11147877

Machine learning for the prediction of volume responsiveness in patients with oliguric acute kidney injury in critical care [1]

Research article Zhang Z, Ho KM, Hong Y · · 2019 · cited 247 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
Background and objectivesExcess fluid balance in acute kidney injury (AKI) may be harmful, and conversely, some patients may respond to fluid challenges.
Closing excerpt
This result suggests that machine learning techniques have the potential to improve the development and validation of predictive modeling in critical care research.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (263 words)

Background and objectivesExcess fluid balance in acute kidney injury (AKI) may be harmful, and conversely, some patients may respond to fluid challenges. This study aimed to develop a prediction model that can be used to differentiate between volume-responsive (VR) and volume-unresponsive (VU) AKI.MethodsAKI patients with urine output 5 l in the following 6 h in the US-based critical care database (Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III)) were considered. Patients who received diuretics and renal replacement on day 1 were excluded. Two predictive models, using either machine learning extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) or logistic regression, were developed to predict urine output > 0.65 ml/kg/h during 18 h succeeding the initial 6 h for assessing oliguria. Established models were assessed by using out-of-sample validation. The whole sample was split into training and testing samples by the ratio of 3:1.Main resultsOf the 6682 patients included in the analysis, 2456 (36.8%) patients were volume responsive with an increase in urine output after receiving > 5 l fluid. Urinary creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), age, and albumin were the important predictors of VR. The machine learning XGBoost model outperformed the traditional logistic regression model in differentiating between the VR and VU groups (AU-ROC, 0.860; 95% CI, 0.842 to 0.878 vs. 0.728; 95% CI 0.703 to 0.753, respectively).ConclusionsThe XGBoost model was able to differentiate between patients who would and would not respond to fluid intake in urine output better than a traditional logistic regression model. This result suggests that machine learning techniques have the potential to improve the development and validation of predictive modeling in critical care research.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30961662 · DOI · PMC6454725

Oliguria as predictive biomarker of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients [2]

Research article Prowle JR, Liu YL, Licari E, Bagshaw SM, Egi M, Haase M, et al. · · 2011 · cited 169 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
IntroductionDuring critical illness, oliguria is often used as a biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI).
Closing excerpt
However, oliguria accompanied by hemodynamic compromise or increasing vasopressor dose may represent a clinically useful trigger for other early biomarkers of renal injury.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (244 words)

IntroductionDuring critical illness, oliguria is often used as a biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, its relationship with the subsequent development of AKI has not been prospectively evaluated.MethodsWe documented urine output and daily serum creatinine concentration in patients admitted for more than 24 hours in seven intensive care units (ICUs) from six countries over a period of two to four weeks. Oliguria was defined by a urine output ResultsWe studied 239 patients during 723 days. Overall, 32 patients had AKI on ICU admission, while in 23, AKI-Cr developed in ICU. Oliguria of greater than one hour was significantly associated with AKI-Cr the next day. On receiver-operator characteristic area under the curve (ROCAUC) analysis, oliguria showed fair predictive ability for AKI-Cr (ROCAUC = 0.75; CI:0.64-0.85). The presence of 4 hrs or more oliguria provided the best discrimination (sensitivity 52% (0.31-0.73%), specificity 86% (0.84-0.89%), positive likelihood ratio 3.8 (2.2-5.6), P ConclusionsOliguria was significantly associated with the occurrence of new AKI-Cr, however oliguria occurred frequently compared to the small number of patients (~10%) developing AKI-Cr in the ICU, so that most episodes of oliguria were not followed by renal injury. Consequently, the occurrence of short periods (1-6 hr) of oliguria lacked utility in discriminating patients with incipient AKI-Cr (positive likelihood ratios of 2-4, with > 10 considered indicative of a useful screening test). However, oliguria accompanied by hemodynamic compromise or increasing vasopressor dose may represent a clinically useful trigger for other early biomarkers of renal injury.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 21771324 · DOI · PMC3387614

Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery using either criteria of the RIFLE classification [3]

Research article Lagny MG, Jouret F, Koch JN, Blaffart F, Donneau AF, Albert A, et al. · · 2015 · cited 120 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
BackgroundAdult cardiac surgery is significantly associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI).
Closing excerpt
In line with previous reports, our data questions the utility of urine output as a criterion for AKI diagnosis and management after cardiac surgery.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (249 words)

BackgroundAdult cardiac surgery is significantly associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). Still, the incidence and outcomes of AKI vary according to its definition. Our retrospective monocentric study comparatively investigates the yield of RIFLE definition, which is based on the elevation of serum creatinine levels (SCr) or the reduction of urine output (UO), taking into account only one or both criteria. Pre- and per-operative risk factors for post-operative AKI were evaluated.MethodsAll adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with or without cardiopulmonary bypass, from April 2008 to March 2009 were included. Clinical, biological and surgical features were recorded. Baseline serum creatinine was determined as its value on day 7 before surgery. Post-operative AKI was diagnosed and scored based upon the highest serum creatinine and/or the lowest urine output.Results443 patients (Male/Female ratio, 2.3; median age, 69y) were included, with 221 (49.9%) developing postoperative AKI. Elevated serum creatinine (AKISCr) and oliguria (AKIUO) was observed in 9.7% and 40.2%, respectively. AKI patients had a significantly higher BMI and baseline SCr. In comparison to AKIUO, AKISCr mostly occurred in patients with co-morbidities, and was associated with an increased mortality at 1-year post surgery.ConclusionsThe use of standard RIFLE definition of AKI in a cohort of 443 patients undergoing cardiac surgery resulted in an incidence reaching 50%. Still, significant discrepancies were found between AKISCr and AKIUO regarding the incidence and outcomes. In line with previous reports, our data questions the utility of urine output as a criterion for AKI diagnosis and management after cardiac surgery.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 26025079 · DOI · PMC4448315

Initial lactate levels linked to oliguria in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia [4]

Research article Zhang Y, Zeng H · · 2024 · cited 5 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
BackgroundOliguria is a sign of impaired kidney function and has been shown to be an early predictor of adverse prognoses in patients with acute kidney injury.
Closing excerpt
15 mmol/L, meticulously monitoring UOP will allow this vulnerable population to receive early, tailored fluid management and medical intervention.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (250 words)

BackgroundOliguria is a sign of impaired kidney function and has been shown to be an early predictor of adverse prognoses in patients with acute kidney injury. The relationship between urine output (UOP) and early lactate levels in neonates with perinatal asphyxia (PA) has not been extensively explored. This study aimed to investigate the link between oliguria during the first 24 h of life and early lactate levels in neonates with PA.MethodsThe medical records of 293 term neonates with asphyxia from 9216 hospitalized newborns were retrospectively analyzed, including 127 cases designated as the oliguria group and 166 cases as controls. Peripheral arterial blood gas after PA and UOP within 24 h after birth were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were conducted.ResultsOliguria occurred in 43.34% of neonates with PA. The median UOP of the oliguria and control groups were 0.65 and 1.46 mL/kg/h, respectively. Elevated lactate levels after PA are an independent risk factor for oliguria in the following 24 h (p = 0.01; OR: 1.19; 95%CI: 1.04-1.35) and show a moderate discriminatory power for oliguria (AUC = 0.62). Using a cut off value of 8.15 mmol/L, the positive and negative predictive values and the specificity were 59.34%, 63.86%, and 78.30%, respectively.ConclusionNeonates with elevated lactate levels after PA face a risk of oliguria in the following 24 h. Based on early elevated lactate levels after resuscitation, especially ≥ 8.15 mmol/L, meticulously monitoring UOP will allow this vulnerable population to receive early, tailored fluid management and medical intervention.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38413449 · DOI · PMC11147877

Key reviews and meta-analyses

The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.

  • Research article Update on Perioperative Acute Kidney Injury [5]
    Zarbock A, Koyner JL, Hoste EAJ, Kellum JA · Anesth Analg · 2018 · cited 109 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Acute oliguria [6]
    Klahr S, Miller SB · N Engl J Med · 1998 · cited 78 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Fluid management in acute kidney injury [7]
    Perner A, Prowle J, Joannidis M, Young P, Hjortrup PB, Pettilä V · Intensive Care Med · 2017 · cited 72 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Bad medicine: low-dose dopamine in the ICU [8]
    Holmes CL, Walley KR · Chest · 2003 · cited 59 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Oliguria, volume overload, and loop diuretics [9]
    Bagshaw SM, Bellomo R, Kellum JA · Crit Care Med · 2008 · cited 55 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Influenza-associated thrombotic microangiopathies [10]
    Bitzan M, Zieg J · Pediatr Nephrol · 2018 · cited 53 times (Europe PMC)

References

  1. Zhang Z, Ho KM, Hong Y. Machine learning for the prediction of volume responsiveness in patients with oliguric acute kidney injury in critical care. . 2019. PMID 30961662 · DOI · PMC6454725
  2. Prowle JR, Liu YL, Licari E, Bagshaw SM, Egi M, Haase M, et al.. Oliguria as predictive biomarker of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. . 2011. PMID 21771324 · DOI · PMC3387614
  3. Lagny MG, Jouret F, Koch JN, Blaffart F, Donneau AF, Albert A, et al.. Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery using either criteria of the RIFLE classification. . 2015. PMID 26025079 · DOI · PMC4448315
  4. Zhang Y, Zeng H. Initial lactate levels linked to oliguria in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia. . 2024. PMID 38413449 · DOI · PMC11147877
  5. Zarbock A, Koyner JL, Hoste EAJ, Kellum JA. Update on Perioperative Acute Kidney Injury. Anesth Analg. 2018. PMID 30138176 · DOI
  6. Klahr S, Miller SB. Acute oliguria. N Engl J Med. 1998. PMID 9486997 · DOI
  7. Perner A, Prowle J, Joannidis M, Young P, Hjortrup PB, Pettilä V. Fluid management in acute kidney injury. Intensive Care Med. 2017. PMID 28470347 · DOI
  8. Holmes CL, Walley KR. Bad medicine: low-dose dopamine in the ICU. Chest. 2003. PMID 12684320 · DOI
  9. Bagshaw SM, Bellomo R, Kellum JA. Oliguria, volume overload, and loop diuretics. Crit Care Med. 2008. PMID 18382190 · DOI
  10. Bitzan M, Zieg J. Influenza-associated thrombotic microangiopathies. Pediatr Nephrol. 2018. PMID 28884355 · DOI · PMC6153504

About this article

Sources
NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
Verification
Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
Review state
automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
Version
1, last updated 2026-11-04.

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At a glance

1,398
PubMed records on this heading
7%
published since 2020
131
review articles
35
randomized trials
10
verified references below

Counts come from PubMed on 2026-11-04; they show how much has been written, not how strong the evidence is.

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