Severe hyperphosphatemia following phosphate administration for bowel preparation in patients with renal failure: two cases and a review of the literature.

Two cases of severe hyperphosphatemia following phosphate bowel preparation are described and a review of the literature is presented. Impairment of renal function appears to be a risk factor in those patients without primary bowel pathology. One of our patients died, and the mortality rate combining our cases with all other reported cases is 33%. Repeated doses of phosphate bowel preparations/purgatives can be dangerous in patients with renal impairment.