SYNDROME OF FLANK PAIN AND ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE AFTER BINGE DRINKING AND NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUG INGESTION

The binge drinking of alcohol combined with the ingestion of a nonster oidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is a recently described cause of reversible acute renal failure. The pathogenetic mechanisms leading to acute tubular necrosis in this setting include the initial compromise in renal perfusion due to alcohol-induced extracellular volume contra ction and the superimposed renal hemodynamic alterations induced by th e NSAID that interfere with the renal autoregulation. Although alcohol may also cause rhabdomyolysis leading to acute tubular necrosis, this is usually not apparent in these cases, Previously, only three such c ases have been reported but the incidence is likely to be higher in vi ew of the prevalence of alcohol and NSAID use, Herein is presented ano ther patient in whom the features of flank pain and acute renal failur e in association with binge drinking and NSAID ingestion constitute a characteristic syndrome.