Drug-Induced Nephrotoxicity and Dose Adjustment Recommendations: Agreement Among Four Drug Information Sources

The Acute Kidney Intervention and Pharmacotherapy (AKIP) List: Standardized List of Medications That Are Renally Eliminated and Nephrotoxic in the Acutely Ill

The objective of this project was to develop a standardized list of renally eliminated and potentially nephrotoxic drugs that will help inform initiatives to improve medication safety. Several available lists of medications from the published literature including original research articles and reviews, and from regulatory agencies, tertiary references, and clinical decision support systems were compiled, consolidated, and compared. Only systemically administered medications were included. Medication combinations were included if at least 1 active ingredient was considered renally dosed or potentially nephrotoxic. The medication list was reviewed for completeness and clinical appropriateness by a multidisciplinary team of individuals with expertise in critical care, nephrology, and pharmacy. An initial list of renally dosed and nephrotoxic drugs was created. After reconciliation and consensus from clinical experts, a standardized list of 681 drugs is proposed. The proposed evidence-based standardized list of renally dosed and potentially nephrotoxic drugs will be useful to harmonize epidemiologic and medication quality improvement studies. In addition, the list can be used for clinical purposes with surveillance in nephrotoxin stewardship programs. We suggest an iterative re-evaluation of the list with emerging literature and new medications on an approximately annual basis.

Thunbergia's Flowers Secondary Metabolites a Natural Armor Against Kidney Damage by Diclofenac

Nephrotoxicity is a common side effect arising from exposure to drugs or toxins. The study investigates the therapeutic effects of Thunbergia alata and Thunbergia erecta flowers on diclofenac-induced renal injury. Secondary metabolite characterization by positive mode high-resolution-ESI (LC-HR-ESI-MS) was followed by assessing their renal protection against diclofenac-induced damage and molecular docking studies. Using positive LC-HR-ESI-MS, 18 compounds from T. erecta and T. alata were identified. Diclofenac administration induced significant deterioration of all parameters in the kidney in addition to renal tissue contents of several inflammatory markers. The flower extracts of T. alata and T. erecta showed a clear improvement in the treated groups compared to the diclofenac-control group. The results were confirmed by histopathological examinations followed by immunohistochemical determination of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) expression. Furthermore, a protein-protein network to understand the complex interplay between the target proteins and their counterparts was done in addition to a molecular docking study of the de-replicated compounds in the active sites of NF-κB, TGF-β1, and VEGFR.

Protective effect of chicory and/or artichoke leaves extracts on carbon tetrachloride and gamma-irradiation-induced chronic nephrotoxicity in rats

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is in progress that causes kidney failure, leading to global problems. This manuscript investigated the nephroprotective effects of chicory (CLE) and/or artichoke (ALE) leaves extracts on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) and gamma-irradiation (Rad)-induced chronic nephrotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into 10 groups (10 animals/group): group 1: control, groups 2-7 rats were treated with CLE, ALE, CLE/ALE, CCl4 , Rad, and CCl4 /Rad, respectively. Groups 8 to 10, rats were intoxicated with CCl4 /Rad, and treated with CLE, ALE, and CLE/ALE extracts, respectively, for 4 weeks. The data demonstrated that CCl4 administration or Rad exposure induced high levels of urea and creatinine, with low levels of total protein and albumin in the serum. However, high levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), some pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukins (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6), TNF-α, NF-κB, the fibrotic marker; TGF-β1, calcium, and copper, low contents of reduced glutathione (GSH), iron, and zinc, and suppression of the antioxidant enzymes' activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were observed. In addition, the Wnt and β-catenin protein expression ratios were up-regulated in the kidney tissues of the CCl4 , and Rad intoxicated animals. However, the combined treatment CCl4 /Rad augmented these measurements. On the other hand, CLE, ALE, and CLE/ALE treatments demonstrated nephroprotection in the kidney tissues of CCl4 /Rad intoxicated animals, in the order of CLE/ALE>ALE>CLE by ameliorating the investigated parameters. Kidney tissues' histopathological examinations confirmed these results. In conclusion, CLE and/or ALE demonstrated nephroprotection against CCl4 /Rad co-toxicity mediated by down-regulation of renal Wnt/β-catenin protein expressions.

Evaluation of medication dose adjustments in patients with impaired renal function using different online drug information databases

OBJECTIVES

Clinical pharmacist-led medication dose adjustment is required to provide safe and effective pharmacotherapy in patients with impaired renal function. This study aimed to assess clinical pharmacist-led medication dose adjustments in hospitalised patients with impaired renal function by comparing three online drug information databases.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study was conducted in an internal medicine ward between November 2016 and February 2017 among hospitalised patients with at least one estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) value <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Clinical pharmacist-led medication dose adjustments according to eGFR were performed by comparing three online drug information databases: Micromedex, Medscape and Lexicomp. The number of items related to dose adjustments detected during the study period and the concordance between databases were evaluated.

RESULTS

This study was conducted among 100 hospitalised patients (mean age 74.6±13.2 years) with impaired renal function. Clinical pharmacists detected at least one medication dose adjustment in 71.0% of patients. Among these patients, it was found that physician-led medication dose adjustments were made in only 15.5% of them. Of 1053 medications, the number of medications that required dose adjustments were 149 (14.2%), 151 (14.3%) and 163 (15.5%) according to Micromedex, Medscape and Lexicomp, respectively. The Fleiss kappa coefficient was 0.875 and the agreement of the three clinical decision support systems were almost perfect.

CONCLUSIONS

In renal dose adjustments, Micromedex, Lexicomp and Medscape are concordant as online drug information databases. Clinical pharmacists could detect medication dose adjustment requirements in hospital patients with impaired renal function. The potential positive impact of clinical pharmacist-led medication dose adjustment should be investigated in further studies.

Consensus Obtained for the Nephrotoxic Potential of 167 Drugs in Adult Critically Ill Patients Using a Modified Delphi Method

Introduction

The approach to evaluating nephrotoxins in studies of drug-associated acute kidney injury varies. Some studies use a list of under ten drugs for evaluation whereas others include over 100 drugs. Drugs are typically assigned a binary classification, nephrotoxic or not nephrotoxic. This oversimplifies the nephrotoxic potential of the drugs under investigation.

Objective

This study aimed to assign a nephrotoxin potential for 167 drugs used in the adult critical care setting.

Methods

A three-round, international, interdisciplinary, web-based modified-Delphi study was used to evaluate nephrotoxins used in adult critically ill patients. Twenty-four international experienced clinicians were identified through the Acute Disease Quality Initiative group and professional affiliations. Included individuals represented the fields of intensive care, nephrology, and pharmacy. One hundred and fifty-nine medications were identified from the literature, with eight additional medications added after the first round, for a total of 167 medications. The primary outcome was consensus achieved for nephrotoxicity ratings. Scores were evaluated each round to determine if a consensus was met.

Results

Our nephrotoxin potential index rating indicated that 20 drugs were nephrotoxicity probable or probable/definite per consensus. Nephrotoxic potential was assessed based on the standard use of medications in intensive care and the following consensus scores: 0 = no nephrotoxic potential, 1 = possible nephrotoxic potential, 2 = probable nephrotoxic potential, 3 = definite nephrotoxic potential.

Conclusions

The nephrotoxin potential index rating allows for prioritization of targeted drugs with greater nephrotoxic potential for institutional nephrotoxin stewardship programs. Furthermore, the nephrotoxin potential index rating provides homogeneity for research and guidance on detailed assessments by severity for each drug.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40264-022-01173-4.

Favipiravir-induced nephrotoxicity in a patient with COVID-19: A case report

This report describes a case of 45 years old male patient who tested positive for COVID-19 presented to the emergency department on March 2021 complaining of fever, cough, runny nose, and shortness of breath. The patient denied any history of nausea or diarrhea who has eventually developed favipiravir-induced nephrotoxicity.

Toxicity of carbon tetrachloride, free radicals and role of antioxidants

Several chemicals, including environmental toxicants and clinically useful drugs, cause severe cellular damage to different organs of our body through metabolic activation to highly reactive substances such as free radicals. Carbon tetrachloride is an organic compound of which chemical formula is CCl₄. CCl₄ is strong toxic in the kidney, testicle, brain, heart, lung, other tissues, and particularly in the liver. CCl₄ is a powerful hepatoxic, nephrotoxic and prooxidant agent which is widely used to induce hepatotoxicity in experimental animals and to create hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis and liver injury, chemical hepatitis model, renal failure model, and nephrotoxicity model in recent years. The damage-causing mechanism of CCl₄ in tissues can be explained as oxidative damage caused by lipid peroxidation which starts after the conversion of CCl₄ to free radicals of highly toxic trichloromethyl radicals (•CCl₃) and trichloromethyl peroxyl radical (•CCl₃O₂) via cytochrome P450 enzyme. Complete disruption of lipids (i.e., peroxidation) is the hallmark of oxidative damage. Free radicals are structures that contain one or more unpaired electrons in atomic or molecular orbitals. These toxic free radicals induce a chain reaction and lipid peroxidation in membrane-like structures rich in phospholipids, such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. CCl₄-induced lipid peroxidation is the cause of oxidative stress, mitochondrial stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress. Free radicals trigger many biological processes, such as apoptosis, necrosis, ferroptosis and autophagy. Recent researches state that the way to reduce or eliminate these CCl₄-induced negative effects is the antioxidants originated from natural sources. For normal physiological function, there must be a balance between free radicals and antioxidants. If this balance is in favor of free radicals, various pathological conditions occur. Free radicals play a role in various pathological conditions including Pulmonary disease, ischemia / reperfusion rheumatological diseases, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, kidney diseases, hypertension, eye diseases, neurological disorders, diabetes and aging. Free radicals are antagonized by antioxidants and quenched. Antioxidants do not only remove free radicals, but they also have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antithrombotic, antiviral, and anti-carcinogenic activities. Antioxidants contain high phenol compounds and antioxidants have relatively low side effects compared to synthetic drugs. The antioxidants investigated in CCI₄ toxicity are usually antioxidants from plants and are promising because of their rich resources and low side effects. Data were investigated using PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, DOAJ, Scopus and Google Scholar, Carbon tetrachloride, carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity, oxidative stress, and free radical keywords. This study aims to enlighten the damage-causing mechanism created by free radicals which are produced by CCl₄ on tissues/cells and to discuss the role of antioxidants in the prevention of tissue/cell damage. In the future, Antioxidants can be used as a therapeutic strategy to strengthen effective treatment against substances with high toxicity such as CCl₄ and increase the antioxidant capacity of cells.

3D Cell Printing of Tissue/Organ-Mimicking Constructs for Therapeutic and Drug Testing Applications

The development of artificial tissue/organs with the functional maturity of their native equivalents is one of the long-awaited panaceas for the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Advanced 3D cell-printing technology and various functional bioinks are promising technologies in the field of tissue engineering that have enabled the fabrication of complex 3D living tissue/organs. Various requirements for these tissues, including a complex and large-volume structure, tissue-specific microenvironments, and functional vasculatures, have been addressed to develop engineered tissue/organs with native relevance. Functional tissue/organ constructs have been developed that satisfy such criteria and may facilitate both in vivo replenishment of damaged tissue and the development of reliable in vitro testing platforms for drug development. This review describes key developments in technologies and materials for engineering 3D cell-printed constructs for therapeutic and drug testing applications.

A Review on Drug-Induced Nephrotoxicity: Pathophysiological Mechanisms, Drug Classes, Clinical Management, and Recent Advances in Mathematical Modeling and Simulation Approaches

A variety of marketed drugs belonging to various therapeutic classes are known to cause nephrotoxicity. Nephrotoxicity can manifest itself in several forms depending on the specific site involved as well as the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. As they often coexist with other pathophysiological conditions, the steps that can be taken to treat them are often limited. Thus, drug-induced nephrotoxicity remains a major clinical challenge. Prior knowledge of risk factors associated with special patient populations and specific classes of drugs, combined with early diagnosis, therapeutic drug monitoring with dose adjustments, as well as timely prospective treatments are essential to prevent and manage them better. Most incident drug-induced renal toxicity is reversible only if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly. Hence, diagnosis at an early stage is the need of the hour to counter it. Significant recent advances in the identification of novel early biomarkers of nephrotoxicity are not beyond limitations. In such a scenario, mathematical modeling and simulation (M&S) approaches may help to better understand and predict toxicities in a clinical setting. This review summarizes pathophysiological mechanisms of drug-induced nephrotoxicity, classes of nephrotoxic drugs, management, prevention, and diagnosis in clinics. Finally, it also highlights some of the recent advancements in mathematical M&S approaches that could be used to better understand and predict drug-induced nephrotoxicity.

Vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity in non-critically ill patients admitted in a Brazilian public hospital: A prospective cohort study

Introduction

Vancomycin is widely used to treat infections caused by Gram positive bacteria, mostly methicillin-resistant strains. Despite its therapeutic effectiveness, vancomycin is a nephrotoxic drug that has been associated with the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). In this study, we sought to evaluate the variability of serum trough concentrations of vancomycin and to determine the incidence and risk factors of vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity (VAN) in non-critically ill patients.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort including Brazilian public hospital inpatients from April 2017 to June 2018. The participants received intravenous vancomycin therapy for at least 48 hours for any suspected or confirmed infection by Gram positive bacteria. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected. Information on vancomycin therapy and concomitant use of other nephrotoxic drugs were also recorded. Patients were followed up until discontinuation of vancomycin treatment or death, whatever occurred first. The primary outcome was the occurrence of AKI. We performed a Poisson regression to determine risk factors for AKI.

Results

Overall, 98 participants were included in the study. Median age was 55.9 (interquartile range [IQR] 40.6–66.8) years and 58 (59.2%) were men. Most of them showed subtherapeutic (<10mg/L) or supratherapeutic (>20mg/L) trough levels of vancomycin; 42.9% and 15.3%, respectively. A total of 19 (19.4%) patients developed AKI. Poisson regression showed that male sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.90; confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.28–6.53; p = 0.011), concomitant use of piperacillin-tazobactam (OR 4.66; CI 95% 2.26–9.58; p <0.001) and vancomycin trough levels above 20mg/mL (OR 4.21; CI 95% 1.57–11.278; p = 0.004) were independently associated with AKI.

Conclusions

Our study showed that usual doses of vancomycin did not reach recommended therapeutic serum trough levels of vancomycin in non-critically ill patients. Besides that, nephrotoxicity was common in this population, being associated with male sex, concomitant use of piperacillin-tazobactam and supra-therapeutic trough serum levels of vancomycin.

The potential protective influence of flaxseed oil against renal toxicity induced by thioacetamide in rats

The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of flaxseed oil on renal toxicity induced by thioacetamide in male rats. The animals were distributed into four groups. Rats of the first group were served as control. Rats of the second group were exposed to thioacetamide. Rats of the third group were treated with flaxseed oil and thioacetamide. Rats of the fourth group were treated with flaxseed oil. Significant increases of blood creatinine and uric acid were observed in TAA-treated rats after three weeks. In thioacetamide group, the levels of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were significantly elevated after six weeks. Histopathologically, the renal sections from thioacetamide-treated rats showed severe alterations in the structure of renal corpuscles including a degeneration of glomeruli and Bowman's capsules. Administration of flaxseed oil protects the observed biochemical and histopathological alterations induced by thioacetamide exposure. Hence, the results of this study suggest that flaxseed oil protects against thioacetamide-induced renal injury and the protective influence of flaxseed oil may be attributed to its antioxidant role.

Pharmacologic Renal Therapy

This article discusses some of the recommended pharmacologic treatments for patients with renal drug toxicity, acute kidney injury (AKI), and chronic kidney injury (CKI). The treatment of AKI often consists of treating patients in emergency departments. Renal pharmacologic management in an acute care setting consists of identifying the cause of AKI, reviewing serum creatinine levels, administration of crystalloids, and the elimination of nephrotoxic agents.

Association between increased mortality rate and antibiotic dose adjustment in intensive care unit patients with renal impairment

PURPOSE

Adjusting the antibiotic dose based on an estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) may result in subdosing, which may actually be significantly more problematic for intensive care unit (ICU) patients than not adjusting the dose. The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of antibiotic dose adjustment in ICU patients with renal impairment.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in adult patients admitted to an ICU of a Brazilian hospital from January 2014 to December 2015. The eGFR was determined using Cockcroft-Gault and Modified Diet in Renal Disease equations for each day of hospitalization. Treatment failure was defined based on the clinical, laboratory, and radiological criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 126 patients were assessed to meet the inclusion criteria and subsequently enrolled in the study (19.9% of patients admitted to the ICU during the study period). Of the 168 opportunities for dose adjustment, 99 (58.9%) adjustments were made. The mean eGFR in the group with dose adjustment was lower than that in the group without dose adjustment (38.5 vs. 40.7 mL/min/1.73 m², respectively). The treatment failure rate among patients with dose adjustment and those treated with the usual dose was 59.3 and 38.9%, respectively (p = 0.023), and the mortality rates in the respective groups were 74.1 and 55.5% (p = 0.033). An association between dose adjustment and treatment failure/mortality rates was also observed in the multivariate analysis including the prognostic score.

CONCLUSIONS

In ICU patients with renal impairment, adjustments in antibiotic dose based on eGFR, significantly increased the risk of treatment failure and death.

Drug therapy and other factors associated with the development of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a significant increase in morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. In intensive care units (ICU), AKI is commonly multifactorial and frequently involves diverse factors, such as hypovolemia, sepsis, and the use of nephrotoxic drugs. We aimed to investigate drug therapy and other factors associated with the development of AKI in a Brazilian public hospital.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study involving critically ill patients at an ICU of a tertiary hospital. All data on sequential serum creatinine (SCr) level, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and urine output were collected during ICU stay. The primary outcome was the occurrence of AKI assessed by the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criterion. Sociodemographics, clinical data and drug therapy were considered as covariates. Factors associated with AKI were assessed using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Overall, 122 participants were included in the study. Median age was 46.0 (interquartile range, IQ = 29.0-69.0) years, with a predominance of men (58.2%). Mean number of prescribed drugs throughout ICU stay was 22.0 ± 9.4. The number of potentially nephrotoxic drugs ranged from two to 24 per patient. A total of 29 (23.8%) ICU patients developed AKI. In the AKI-group, patients were older and showed higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores at admission, higher rates of sedation, mechanical ventilation, and infection. More drugs in general and specifically more vasoactive drugs were prescribed for AKI group. Patients who developed AKI tended to have extended stays in the ICU and a lower probability of being discharged alive than patients with no AKI development. Model adjustments of logistic regression showed that the number of medications (OR 1.15; 95% CI [1.05-1.27]) was the only factor associated with AKI in this study. This association was independent of drug nephrotoxicity.

DISCUSSION

Intensive care is characterized by its complexity that combines unstable patients, severe diseases, high density of medical interventions, and drug use. We found that typical risk factors for AKI showed statistical association on bivariate analysis. The contribution of drug therapy in the occurrence of AKI in medical ICUs reinforces the need for prevention strategies focused on early recognition of renal dysfunction and interventions in drug therapy. These actions would help improve the quality of patient care and ensure progress towards medication safety.

Diclofenac-induced renal toxicity in female Wistar albino rats is protected by the pre-treatment of aqueous leaves extract of Madhuca longifolia through suppression of inflammation, oxidative stress and cytokine formation

CONTEXT

Kidney has a vital role in renal clearance, maintenance of blood pressure, elimination of toxic products and formation of prostaglandins. Certain medications are known to cause renal injury on its frequent usage and high dosage. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is used in the treatment of pain and arthritis. Madhuca longifolia is a deciduous tree which is known to the have anti-microbial, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the beneficial effect of aqueous leaf extract of Madhuca longifolia against DFC-induced renal toxicity in female Wistar albino rats.

METHODS

Thirty female Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups and the drugs were administrated specifically on each group. After the treatment period, the rats were sacrificed to evaluate the significant changes in renal enzyme markers, antioxidant activities in kidney tissue homogenate and plasma, renal histopathology and protein expression levels. The cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were measured through ELISA techniques and the levels of Caspase-3, COX-2 and NF-κB were measured through western blotting techniques. DiscussionMadhuca longifolia was observed to show a better result in normalizing the toxicity caused by diclofenac.

CONCLUSION

The significant result of the aqueous leaf extract ofMadhuca longifolia was due to its ability in restoring renal function by restoring antioxidants and preventing cellular damages.

Natural remedies for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced toxicity

The liver is an important organ of the body, which has a vital role in metabolic functions. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac causes hepato-renal toxicity and gastric ulcers. NSAIDs are noted to be an agent for the toxicity of body organs. This review has elaborated various scientific perspectives of the toxicity caused by diclofenac and its mechanistic action in affecting the vital organ. This review suggests natural products are better remedies than current clinical drugs against the toxicity caused by NSAIDs. Natural products are known for their minimal side effects, low cost and availability. On the other hand, synthetic drugs pose the danger of adverse effects if used frequently or over a long period. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nephrotoxic Medication Exposure in U.S. Adults with Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease: Health Services Utilization and Cost Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Nephrotoxic medication exposure increases risks for acute kidney injury, permanent renal function loss, and costly preventable adverse drug events. Exposure to medications associated with inducing acute tubular nephritis or tubular toxicity versus nonexposure among those with predialysis renal disease-a population vulnerable to increased risk of kidney injury-may affect health services utilization and cost outcomes. Few studies quantify nephrotoxic medication exposure in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated costs.

OBJECTIVE

To examine exposure to medications associated with inducing acute tubular nephritis or tubular toxicity versus nonexposure and the effect on health services utilization and cost outcomes in a nationally representative sample of adults with predialysis CKD.

METHODS

This retrospective study used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) household component longitudinal files (years 2006-2012; panels 11-16). Participants included 809 MEPS respondents aged > 18 years with predialysis CKD, after excluding those participants with cancer, kidney stone, renal dialysis, or transplant procedures (approximately 14.7 million U.S. noninstitutionalized individuals). Two groups were created to evaluate the main measures: (1) participants prescribed 1 or more medications associated with risk of acute tubular nephritis and/or tubular toxicity (termed "nephrotoxic exposure") and (2) participants with nonexposure. Medications cited in published literature as associated with tubular kidney damage were used. Multivariable regression models assessed the pattern of nephrotoxic medication exposure and its effect on health services utilization and expenses.

RESULTS

Nephrotoxic medication exposure occurred in 72% of adult MEPS respondents. Of those, 47.2% and 52.8% were prescribed 1 and at least 2 nephrotoxic medications, respectively. Coexistent chronic conditions included hypertension (72.3%), diabetes (49.5%), coronary heart disease (33%), arthritis (23.6%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.6%). Eligible MEPS respondents aged ≥ 65 years, from the U.S. South region, and with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score > 0 were 75% (vs. aged 18-45 years), 83% (vs. Northeast), and 72%-96% (vs. CCI = 0) more likely to be exposed to nephrotoxic medications. Uninsured participants showed 55% less likelihood of nephrotoxic exposure, compared with privately insured participants. Higher utilization was shown in the nephrotoxic medication exposure group (vs. nonexposure): prescription fills (52.8 vs. 26.8, P < 0.001), emergency department visits (56.2 vs. 29.3 per 1,000 patient months, P < 0.001), and hospitalization (51.8 vs. 23.4 per 1,000 patient months, P < 0.001). Unadjusted all-cause expenses were greater for the following categories: medical ($119,935 vs. $11,462, P < 0.001), prescription drug ($4,828 vs. $2,816, P < 0.001), and total health expenses ($24,663 vs. $14,277, P < 0.001). Adjusted all-cause expenses were greater for total (29.7% greater, P = 0.003), prescription medications (56.6% greater, P < 0.001), and medical (23.4% greater, P = 0.036), but there were no differences in predialysis CKD-related utilization and expenses.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased vigilance is needed when prescribing nephrotoxic medications in predialysis CKD, particularly in patients with comorbid conditions and the elderly. Nephrotoxic medication exposure in predialysis CKD has the potential for increased health services utilization and cost outcomes.

DISCLOSURES

There was no grant or intramural funding for this research. The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to disclose. Study concept and design were primarily contributed by Davis-Ajami, along with Fink and Wu. Davis-Ajami took the lead in data collection, along with Wu, and data interpretation was performed by David-Ajami, Wu, and Fink. All authors participated in manuscript preparation and revision.