Adverse drug effects in relation to renal function.

The relationship between acute drug toxicity, diagnosed in the clinical setting, and renal function is estimated for 67 commonly used drugs. Fewer than expected numbers of drugs showed higher rates of toxicity in the presence of an elevated blood urea nitrogen level on admission. For those whose toxicity did correlate positively with an elevated blood urea nitrogen level, detailed study of the relationship, taking into account other important variables, is indicated.