Benefits of Contrast May Outweigh Risks in Critically Ill Patients

Initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and use of other nephrotoxic agents were predictors of acute kidney injury in contrast recipients.

Concerns about development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients may limit clinicians' use of intravenous contrast medium when ordering diagnostic computed tomography scans. Researchers compared the incidence of AKI between matched pairs of contrast recipients and controls in a prospective, observational cohort study of 380 adults admitted to one medical and one surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in France between 2008 and 2009. Twenty percent of patients were included more than once during their ICU stay, resulting in a total of 307 contrast and 170 control patient inclusions.

Serum creatinine was measured at 48, 72, and 96 hours after inclusion. Among patients receiving contrast, the incidence of AKI was 7.5% when defined…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices