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Analgesic Nephropathy K001

Document
Last amended 
10 November 2016
Current RMA Instruments
Reasonable Hypothesis SOP
77 of 2016
Balance of Probabilities SOP
78 of 2016
Changes from previous Instruments

SOP bulletin 193

ICD Coding:
  • ICD-9-CM Codes: 583.89
  • ICD-10-AM Codes: N14.0
Brief description

Analgesic nephropathy, a chronic kidney disease, should now be a very rare diagnosis.  The principal cause of the condition was chronic heavy phenacetin intake.  Phenacetin was found in compound analgesic preparations (e.g. Bex).  Phenacetin was removed from the Australian market in 1975.

Confirming the diagnosis

Clinical features of analgesic nephropathy include hypertension, pyuria (white blood cells in the urine) and anaemia.  In someone supsected clinically of having analgesic nephropathy the diagnosis is confirmed by a CT scan of the kidneys showing papillary calcification.

The relevant medical practitioner is a physician or a nephrologist.

Additional diagnoses covered by SOP

  • Phenacetin nephritis
Conditions not covered by SOP
  • Other forms of nephritis
Clinical onset

Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, clinical onset can be dated to the first evidence of renal impairment (usually on blood tests), hypertension, or the first symptoms attributed to the condition by a treating practitioner.