Acute renal failure and its risk factors in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

BACKGROUND Skin lesion is the most frequent manifestation of adverse drug reactions. Drug-induced cutaneous hypersensitivity and drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis might share a similar mechanism involving drug-specific T cells. We thus investigated the renal outcome of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe drug-induced cutaneous hypersensitivity, and hypothesize that skin detachment in SJS/TEN might be associated with acute renal failure (ARF). METHODS 234 hospitalized patients were retrospectively classified into an SJS/TEN group (skin detachment) or an erythematous multiforme majus group (target-like exanthema alone). RESULTS Both drugs and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with SJS/TEN. The SJS/TEN group was more likely to develop ARF than the erythematous multiforme majus group (18.8 vs. 4.3%, p < 0.05) despite similar initial creatinine clearance. In the ARF patients, RIFLE-F class, dialysis and long-term dialysis were 25, 15 and 5%, respectively. The offending drugs in ARF were also associated with CKD. Hyponatremia and late hypokalemia were more frequently in the SJS/TEN group (15.6 vs. 2.9%, 7.3 vs. 0.7%, respectively, p < 0.05). Sepsis, allopurinol, antibiotics, NSAIDs, CKD and hypoalbuminemia (OR: 18.8, 9.8, 10.1, 9.0, 5.3 and 3.3, respectively, p < 0.05) were the risk factors of developing ARF. CONCLUSION ARF, the need for dialysis, and late hypokalemia could be the consequences of SJS/TEN. Skin detachment after certain medication might implicate the associated ARF, especially in CKD patients.