Back off baclofen when the kidneys don't work

Abstract

Medication adverse events are common and often preventable. Patients with diminished kidney function are particularly susceptible to adverse events, especially if the medication's primary means of elimination is through the kidneys. Neurotoxicity from baclofen (80% excreted by the kidneys) is increasingly being recognized in patients with diminished kidney function. Chauvin et al. performed a large population-based retrospective cohort study in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and showed a high rate of encephalopathy with hospitalizations shortly after baclofen exposure. This commentary discusses the high rate of altered mental status after baclofen exposure in patients with ESKD, potential reasons for the continued reports of this adverse event, and strategies to educate the health care community.