# Energy drink-induced acute kidney injury: a case report and review of the literature

## TL;DR

A 21-year-old man developed severe kidney damage after drinking 2 liters of energy drinks daily, highlighting a rare but serious health risk.

## Contribution

This case report adds a new documented instance of energy drink-induced acute kidney injury, expanding limited existing literature.

## Key findings

- A 21-year-old male developed stage 3 acute kidney injury after consuming 2 liters of energy drinks daily for a month.
- The patient's creatinine levels rose to 10.32 mg/dL but normalized within two weeks after stopping energy drink consumption.
- This case is only the fifth documented case of energy drink-induced acute kidney injury in the literature.

## Abstract

Nephrotoxic insults are among the most common causes of acute kidney injuries. The offending drug or agent should be defined swiftly and must be stopped. In some situations, the culprit agent may not be obvious. Energy drink consumption has reportedly increased in recent years, with ads claiming that energy drinks strengthen physical and mental performance. However, when consumed in uncontrolled amounts, they may have negative effects on health. An energy drink-induced acute kidney injury is reported in this case presentation. There have been only four similar cases in the literature.

A 21-year-old male patient of Turkish origin applied to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, and malaise. He was admitted, because the laboratory values revealed that he had stage 3 acute kidney injury. He did not have any medical or surgical histories. He did not use any drugs, but he stated that he has consumed 2 L of an energy drink product per day for the past month. Differential diagnosis work-up pointed to an energy drink-induced acute kidney injury. His serum creatinine increased to a level as high as 10.32 mg/dL, but he did not need any renal replacement therapy. Creatinine levels normalized in about 2 weeks after withholding energy drinks.

Depending on their content and consumption amount, energy drinks may cause acute kidney injury. There have been four previous cases in the literature and they were reviewed for a comparison with this case.