ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some particular forms of acute and toxic nephropathies observed in the developing world. There is a striking difference between the etiology of acute renal failure (ARF) in the developed world compared to that of developing countries. ARF in Western societies is now largely the consequence of cardiovascular surgery, drugs, multiorgan failure, consequences of traffic and industrial accidences, and more specifically renal transplantation rejection. Obstetrical ARF has become a rare complication of the pregnancy in the developed world, but is still rather frequent in the developing countries and responsible for an important maternal fatal morbidity and mortality. Its high incidence is due to the prevalence of unsafe home deliveries and abortions conducted by untrained personal. In India, infectious diarrheal disease, malaria, leptospirosis, intravascular hemolysis due to G6PD-deficiency, snakebites, and insect stings constitute over 60% of ARF. In Nigeria, herbs are involved in 50% of ARF cases of which 60% necessitates hemodialysis.
