Abstract
Patients with renal insufficiency have a risk of radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN). To study whether RCN can be avoided by prophylactic continuous hemodialysis (CHD), 47 patients with serum creatinine level (S-Cr)>1.5 mg/dL who had undergone coronary angiography were evaluated retrospectively. Among these, 9 patients were treated with prophylactic CHD (groupI), while 38 other were not (groupII). Prophylactic CHD was started just before the administration of contrast media and was continued for 2-3 hours after the completion of the angiography. An increase in S-Cr≥25% from the baseline level within 72 hours after the procedure was defined as RCN. Baseline S-Cr was higher in groupI (2.2±0.9 vs. 1.7±0.4 mg/dL, p<0.01). Age, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and the volume of contrast media used did not differ between the 2 groups. After coronary angiography, a minimal increase in S-Cr was observed in both groups, but the increase was not significant. The incidence of RCN was 22% in groupI and 18% in groupII, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Prophylactic CHD, even if started before the administration of contrast media, did not prevent the development of RCN in patients with renal insufficiency.
