Acute Phosphate Nephropathy and Renal Failure

Abstract

To the Editor: Phosphate-based cathartic agents are commonly prescribed for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy. They may have serious side effects, including seizures and acute renal failure. Although the latter complication has been reported on at least three occasions,1–3 the pathophysiology and histologic lesion underlying it remain unknown. In this report, we describe a case of phosphosoda-induced acute renal failure that was evaluated by biopsy. Two weeks after ingesting a cathartic agent, a 71-year-old woman presented with nonspecific malaise. The serum creatinine level was 4.5 mg per deciliter (as compared with 1.0 mg per deciliter 10 weeks earlier), and both . . .