Oral antivirals are primarily known to have which potential side effect?

• A. Liver damage
• B. Kidney damage
• C. Heart damage
• D. Lung damage

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the kidneys are a main route of elimination for many antivirals, so kidney-related toxicity is a well-recognized, dose-related risk with these drugs. When antivirals are cleared by the kidneys, high concentrations can irritate renal tubules or lead to crystal formation and acute kidney injury, especially with dehydration, preexisting kidney disease, or improper dose adjustments. This makes kidney damage the most consistently observed adverse effect among the options for commonly used oral antivirals. While liver toxicity, heart damage, or lung damage can occur with some medications, they are not as characteristic or frequent for standard oral antiviral therapies. Monitoring renal function and adjusting the dose in renal impairment helps mitigate this risk.