Nephrotoxicity

Nephrotoxicity is toxicity in the kidneys. It is a poisonous effect of some substances, both toxic chemicals and medications, on kidney function. There are various forms, and some drugs may affect kidney function in more than one way. Nephrotoxins are substances displaying nephrotoxicity.
Nephrotoxicity should not be confused with the fact that some medications are predominantly excreted by the kidneys and need their dose adjusted for the decreased kidney function (e.g., heparin, lithium).
Types of toxicity.
Acute interstitial nephritis.
Main article : Acute interstitial nephritis
Acute glomerulonephritis.
Drug-induced glomerular disease is not common but there are a few drugs that have been implicated. Glomerular lesions occur primarily through immune-mediated pathways rather than through direct drug toxicity.
Diagnosis.
Nephrotoxicity is usually monitored through a simple blood test. A decreased creatinine clearance indicates poor kidney function. Normal creatinine level is between 80 - 120 μmol/L. In interventional radiology, a patient's creatinine clearance levels are all checked prior to a procedure.
Serum creatinine is another measure of kidney function, which may be more useful clinically when dealing with patients with early kidney disease.
Etymology.
The word "nephrotoxicity" () uses combining forms of "nephro-" + "tox-" + "-icity", yielding "kidney poisoning".