[Acute kidney failure due to drugs or toxic substances]

The main causes and mechanisms of acute renal failure due to drugs and other chemicals are briefly reviewed. In clinical settings, aminoglycoside antibiotics appear to be the drugs most commonly involved in acute toxic kidney diseases. Beta-lactam antibiotics have been most commonly associated with acute tubulo-interstitial lesions, which are thought to be due to immunological mechanisms. The important role of risk factors in toxic nephropathies is stressed.