Drug-related syndromes in clinical nephrology.

The major clinical presentations of disease to a nephrologist can be grouped into six general areas: acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, fluid-electrolyte disorders, acid-base disturbances, and the uremic symptom-complex. Each of these major clinical syndromes can be caused by, or related to, drugs or environmental toxins. Prototype drugs can be used to highlight the features of each drug-related syndrome. Although it is preventable, drug-related disease may present opportunities to learn about general pathophysiologic mechanisms in clinical nephrology.