Mechanical ventilation is commonly used in the clinical treatment. However, mechanical ventilation can also affect glomerular filtration function, and cause or promote the occurrence and development of AKI, through mechanisms of changing the renal hemodynamics, neurohumoral function, and positive end-expiratory pressure effect, etc. Renal protection is an issue that can not be ignored in clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients who receive mechanical ventilation. Measures are helpful for improving prognosis of patients receiving mechanical ventilation and complicated with AKI, such as reasonable adjustment of ventilator parameters in ventilation treatment process, and paying attention to protection of renal function by infection control with proper calculation of dose and time interval according to the level of renal function, hypotension management with suitable vasoactive drugs to increase blood pressure, as well as timely consultation with nephrologists.