Renal failure caused by chemicals, foods, plants, animal venoms, and misuse of drugs. An overview.

Nephrotoxicity caused by contrast media and drugs is a frequent cause of renal failure in medical practice. However, there are only sporadic cases of renal failure caused by chemicals, foods, plants, animal venoms, and misused or illegal drugs, and standard medical textbooks are limited in the coverage given to the subject. This review provides a referenced compilation of these lesser-known nephrotoxins and gives an overview of renal failure caused by substances other than properly used medications.