Risk factors for toxic nephropathies

The best definition of risk factors for renal injury, irrespective of the aetiological agent, comes from observations in patients with acute renal failure. From such observations, two subdivisions have evolved, i.e., acute insults and host risk factors. Acute renal insults include: hypertension, sepsis, use of nephrotoxic drugs (e.g., aminoglycoside antibiotics and contrast media), haemoglobinuria or myoglobinuria, liver disease and extracellular volume depletion. Host risk factors include: advanced age, hypertension, gout and hyperuricaemia, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure and use of diuretics. Furthermore, the mechanism of acute renal injury can be correlated with different risk factors: for a tubular toxic agent, acting either directly on the cells or haemodynamically, a dose-dependency is characteristic; while for immunologically mediated injury, genetic predisposition is more important. The identification of risk factors for chronic toxic injury is confounded by the possibilities of multiple episodes of subclinical renal injury, the distinct possibility that a major component of the ageing process may be a loss of renal reserve, and a progressive body burden, of, e.g., cadmium, which may deplete intrinsic protective mechanisms. However, clinically relevant risk factors can alert the clinician to exercise additional caution when prescribing medications that are potentially nephrotoxic. Such factors include dehydration, pre-existing renal disease, age, co-existing diseases that cause renal ischaemia, gender, concomitantly administered drugs, and electrolyte abnormalities.