Assessing the Prevalence of Drug-Induced Nephritis in Hospital Based Setting of Central India: A Clinical Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study

Background: One of the most common etiological factors leading to chronic kidney disease and acute renal failure in the present clinical scenario is drug-induced renal disease. By direct toxicity and immunologic mechanism virtue, certain stereotyped renal responses are initiated by various drugs. Objectives: The present study was conducted to retrospectively assess the prevalence and incidence of drug-induced nephrotoxicity at the Department of Pathology, Sri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhilai, and Chhattisgarh. The study was conducted for 6 months on 120 subjects having drug-induced nephritis. The study subjects were within the age range of 30-70 years and had 50% females. Methods: The study screened 500 subjects of a defined age group where anthropometric and demographic records were obtained followed by serum creatinine measurement and protein analysis using the dipstick method. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated (eGFR) using the 4-variable modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation and Cockcroft-Gault equation corrected to the body surface area (CG-BSA). Results: In 2.8% of subjects proteinuria was seen with DIN in 6.3% (n=120) subjects using MDRD for GFR assessment. The DIN prevalence was found to be 24% using the CG-BSA method. DIN was found to be significantly associated with hypertension, diabetes, smoking, abdominal obesity, advanced age, and gender. The large difference in Din prevalence between CG-BSA equations and MDRD shows that there is a need for having better measures for assessing the kidney function in the population of central India. Also, CG-BSA equations suggest a similar need for having better measures for assessing the kidney function in the population of central India.