Open Access Journal
QUALIS
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
Open Access Journal
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
Classified as a common practice among the general population, self-medication is defined as the use of medications without prior guidance from a healthcare professional, driven by easy access to medications and the desire for rapid relief from mild symptoms. However, this practice is associated with significant risks to kidney function and the reliability of laboratory test results. The present study aimed to analyze the impacts of self-medication on renal function, as well as the main urinary changes and laboratory interferences resulting from the indiscriminate use of medications. This is an integrative literature review conducted in the Scielo and PubMed databases, using the descriptors “Self-medication,” “Drugs,” and “Public health,” combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR, considering publications from 2016 to 2025. The results demonstrated that the inappropriate use of drugs, especially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics, can compromise renal homeostasis by reducing renal blood flow, decreasing the glomerular filtration rate, and causing hydroelectrolytic changes. In addition, urinalysis enables the early identification of abnormalities such as proteinuria, hematuria, and the presence of casts, while certain medications can produce false-positive or false-negative results. It is concluded that self-medication represents a multifactorial public health problem, highlighting the need for educational initiatives, laboratory monitoring, and strategies that promote the rational use of medications.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nely Virgínia Félix dos Santos, Letícia de Barros Godoi, Ana Beatriz Gomes de Lima, Ivanildo Pedro Pessôa de Melo Filho, Izabela Oliveira de Barros Nonato