The first in this series of five papers concerns the evaluation and management of renal injuries. The authors of this paper come from four continents and seven countries, and they reviewed all papers on renal injury published between 1966 and April 2002. The results of the authors’ deliberations are present here as a consensus document. OBJECTIVE To determine the optimal evaluation and management of renal injuries by review of the world's English‐language literature on the subject. METHODS A consensus conference convened by the World Health Organization and the Societé Internationale d’Urologie met to critically review reports of the diagnosis and treatment of renal trauma. The English‐language literature about renal trauma was identified using Medline, and additional cited works not detected in the initial search obtained. Evidence‐based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of renal trauma were made with reference to a five‐point scale. RESULTS There were many Level 3 and 4 citations, few Level 2, and one Level 1 which supported clinical practice patterns. Findings of nearly 200 reviewed citations are summarized. CONCLUSIONS Published reports on renal trauma still rely heavily on expert opinion and single‐institution retrospective case series. Prospective trials of the most significant issues, when possible, might improve the quality of evidence that dictates the behaviour of practitioners.