[Antibiotics and kidney].

Renal excretion is the most important route of elimination for the majority of antibiotics, and some antibiotics may cause renal injury by direct and/or immunologic mechanisms. These conditions determine a dose relationship between antibiotic therapy and renal function. In this review we report some practical guidelines for the correct administration of antibiotics in patients with decreased renal function. Currently used antibiotics that are most frequently associated to nephrotoxicity are also examined, and for each of them the incidence and degree of renal damage, pathogenic mechanisms and preventive measures are reported. This review emphasizes the need for a careful assessment of renal function in patients with acute and chronic infections undergoing antibiotic therapy.