Analgesic Nephropathy: Its Present Contribution to the Renal Mortality and Morbidity Profile

A prospective autopsy survey was carried out in Brisbane over a year, and the incidence of early, intermediate and advanced analgesic nephropathy was determined. In 1,587 autopsies from two hospitals and from the Institute of Forensic Pathology, there were 17 deaths due to analgesic nephropathy. In a comparable series of 381 autopsies performed over a six-month period in Christchurch, New Zealand, there were 3 deaths due to analgesic nephropathy. The incidence of various stages of unsuspected analgesic nephropathy was much higher in Brisbane than in Christchurch, and in both cities the incidence was much higher in females. There has been a sharp fall in total death rates for diseases of the urinary tract since 1968. Autopsy findings indicate that this is due to a decline in deaths from analgesic nephropathy and it is suggested that this decline’ is due to a change in the composition of analgesics rather than to any diminution of analgesic abuse rates.