
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions ā written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Analgesic nephropathy natural history, complications and prognosis
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The prognosis of analgesic nephropathy depends on the scarring and damage to the renal tissue. Most patients in early stages recover to normal renal function after stopping the analgesic drug, however some may progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD). Complications of analgesic nephropathy include: urinary tract infections, varying degrees of renal failure and End stage renal disease (ESRD).
Natural History
Natural History
- Renal function in most patients recovers to normal level after stopping the usage of analgesic drug if it is in the early stages of the disease.[1]
- Depending on the scarring and damage to the renal tissue, some patients may progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD), even after stopping the usage of analgesic drug.[1]
Complications
Complications
Complications associated with analgesic nephropathy include:[2][3]
- Urinary tract infections
- Varying degrees of renal failure
- End stage renal disease (ESRD)[1]
- Transitional cell tumours of the urothelium (in abuse of analgesics containing phenacetin)
Prognosis
Prognosis
The prognosis of analgesic nephropathy depends on the scarring and damage to the renal tissue. Most patients in early stages recover to normal renal function after stopping the analgesic drug, however some may progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD).[1]
Some factors that contribute to poor outcome include:[2]
- Malignant hypertension
- Persistent proteinuria
- Initial renal size and glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
References
References
- ā 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 “StatPearls”. 2020. PMIDĀ 31082145.
- ā 2.0 2.1 Nanra RS (1980). “Clinical and pathological aspects of analgesic nephropathy”. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 10 Suppl 2: 359Sā368S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.1980.tb01824.x. PMCĀ 1430193. PMIDĀ 7002190.
- ā Nanra RS, Stuart-Taylor J, de Leon AH, White KH (1978). “Analgesic nephropathy: etiology, clinical syndrome, and clinicopathologic correlations in Australia”. Kidney Int. 13 (1): 79ā92. doi:10.1038/ki.1978.11. PMIDĀ 362034.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shakiba Hassanzadeh, MD[2]
