Party drug wreaks havoc on bladders

Ketamine, a veterinary anesthetic widely abused as a party drug, has been linked to severe bladder and kidney dysfunction in 10 young adults in Hong Kong, doctors reported Thursday in the Hong Kong Medical Journal.

The researchers said some of the cases were so severe that the young people could hold only 30 milliliters -- or 2 tablespoons -- of urine in their bladders and had to pass water every 15 minutes. “One went into acute kidney failure, and all of them had evidence of liver damage as well,” the researchers said. They cautioned, however, that the disorders may be a result of other toxins that “street ketamine” might be contaminated with.