[Phenacetin abuse II. Chronic renal insufficiency in Basle autopsies]

The frequency of chronic terminal renal failure (CTRF) (serum creatinine greater than or equal to 4,5 mg/dl) in an unselected autopsy material was about 1.7% from 1968 to 1976. Based on this figure, the estimated yearly incidence is 160 to 200/10(6) inhabitants of the Basel area. In inhabitants of Basel, analgesic nephropathy (42.2%) was the most important cause of CTRF (excluding obstructive nephropathy). Pyelonephritis (without evidence of analgesic abuse) represented only 25.7%. All other nephropathies were less common: glomerulonephritis 14.6%, diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis 11.6%, cystic kidney disease and vascular nephropathies (each 4.5%). By contrast, in patients treated by hemodialysis and renal transplantation glomerulonephritis (28.7%) is the most important cause of CTRF, followed by analgesic nephropathy (20%), pyelonephritis (15%) and cystic disease of the kidney (12.5%). The difference between the two groups can be explained by the lower mean age of patients treated by hemodialysis and transplantation. Incidence and disease course can be affected significantly only in analgesic nephropathy. It is therefore very important to prohibit legally the use of phenacetin or paracetamol containing analgesics without medical prescription. In addition, these drugs should be replaced by other analgesic compounds.