Drug intoxication and neurological episodes in chronic renal failure.

Of 178 episodes of neurological derangement in 103 patients with renal failure, only about 40% were due to known causes such as hypertension or electrolyte failure. One-third were due to drug intoxication and no definite aetiology was found for the remainder. Drug intoxication is due partly to the accumulation of a drug normally excreted by the kidney and partly to a greater susceptibility of the central nervous system in uraemic patients. The prognosis is favourable.