Nephrotoxicity of common drugs used in clinical practice

• Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is an increasingly recognized complication of a wide variety of therapeutic agents. The nephrotoxicity of three of the most commonly used drug groups are reviewed in this article. They include antibiotics, radiocontrast agents, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Since the clinical spectrum of drug-induced nephrotoxicity is broad, it is imperative that the clinician recognize these nephrotoxic syndromes while they are reversible with discontinuation of the offending drug. (Arch Intern Med1987;147:1213-1218)