Renal disease associated with illicit drug abuse

Abstract

The illicit use of drugs involves many millions of people worldwide. The abuse of each drug is associated with a variety of medical complications. In recent years, abuse of both heroin and cocaine have been major problems worldwide. Other illicit agents, however, which continue to induce medical complications include barbiturates, ethyl alcohol, amphetamines, and phencyclidine, as well as drug combinations. There are a number of renal disorders associated with drug abuse. Some may be related to nephrotoxicity associated with the drugs themselves, e.g. heroin nephropathy, while others are caused by complications related to drug abuse, e.g. post-infectious glomerulonephritis and hepatitis related glomerulonephritis developing in intravenous drug addicts.