Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of liver cirrhosis and mainly manifests as a rapidly elevated serum creatinine level, a reduced glomerular filtration rate, and oliguria or anuria. Type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS-1) is a special type of AKI, and patients with untreated HRS-1 have an extremely high risk of death. Early diagnosis and treatment are of great importance. This paper summarizes the latest diagnostic criteria for hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) type of AKI and research advances in the treatment of HRS-1.