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Oral sodium phosphate use for colonoscopies may harm kidneys

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, November 3, 2005

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Investigators have found that use of an oral sodium phosphate solution (OSPS) for bowel cleansing in preparation for a colonscopy may lead to renal failure, according to MedPage Today citing the online edition of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

The investigators examined 21 patients who developed acute phosphate nephropathy after taking an OSPS. They found that cases occurred more frequently in patients older than 50 and may be associated with inadequate rehydration during the cleansing.

"Acute phosphate nephropathy is an under-recognized cause of acute and chronic renal failure," wrote author Glen S. Markowitz, MD, and colleagues of the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, according to MedPage Today.

Other factors possibly associated with developing cases of acute phosphate nephropathy after taking an OSPS were a history of hypertensions, and the concurrent use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, MedPage Today reported.

The findings may indicate the need to reexamine colonscopy guidelines that take into consideration the possible effects of OSPS and recommend avoiding its use in patients with chronic kidney disease, the investigators wrote, according to MedPage Today.

To view an abstract of the journal article, "Acute Phosphate Nephropathy following Oral Sodium Phosphate Bowel Purgative: An Underrecognized Cause of Chronic Renal Failure," click here.

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