Changes of panorama in renal disease mortality in Finland after phenacetin restriction.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of phenacetin consumption and its restriction on the mortality from nephropathy. Changes in this mortality in Finland during 1951-77 were investigated. The second part of the study was concerned with the frequency of papillary necrosis in cases autopsied in the Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, during 1952-79. These figures were studied in relation to increased phenacetin consumption after World War II, its restriction in 1962 and its complete banning in 1965. Both the epidemiologic survey of the mortality from nephropathy in Finland and the autopsies showed a clear and strong correlation both with increased phenacetin consumption and with its discontinuation. The banning of phenacetin led within 2-4 years to a decline in the mortality from nephropathy to its pre-phenacetin level.