All you need to know about Post Contrast Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)

These two articles explain in detail AKI and provide recommendations for everyday practice. A “must read” for every radiologist and radiographer, who should adopt these recommendations, and also promote their use in cooperation with referring clinicians.

Key points:

• PC-AKI is the preferred term for renal function deterioration after contrast medium.
• PC-AKI has many possible causes.
• The risk of AKI caused by intravascular contrast medium has been overstated.
• Important patient risk factors for PC-AKI are CKD and dehydration.
• In CKD, hydration reduces the PC-AKI risk.
• Intravenous normal saline and intravenous sodium bicarbonate provide equally effective prophylaxis.
• No drugs have been consistently shown to reduce the risk of PC-AKI.
• Stop metformin from the time of contrast medium administration if eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73 m 2.
• Dialysis schedules need not change when intravascular contrast medium is given.

Article: Post-contrast acute kidney injury. Part I and Part II

Authors: Aart J. van der Molen, Peter Reimer, Ilona A. Dekkers, Georg Bongartz, Marie-France Bellin, Michele Bertolotto, Olivier Clement, Gertraud Heinz-Peer, Fulvio Stacul, Judith A. W. Webb and Henrik S. Thomsen