More Evidence that Sodium Phosphate Causes Renal Failure

The use of oral sodium phosphate as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy has decreased dramatically in the U.S. because of reports of renal failure caused by calcium phosphate deposition in the renal tubules. Renal failure related to sodium phosphate is assumed to be rare, but the actual magnitude of the risk remains uncertain.

In this population-based, case-crossover study from Korea, researchers identified 47,782 patients aged ≥50 years who were hospitalized with acute renal failure between 2006 and 2009. Of these patients, 1105 had undergone colonoscopy after a sodium phosphate prescription and had no recorded perforations or prescriptions for polyethylene glycol solution.

At time windows of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after oral sodium phosph…