title: Measurement of glomerular filtration rate by low-dose iopromide plasma clearance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can be measured by iopromide plasma clearance. As an injection of 120 ml nonionic contrast medium is expensive and especially in patients with nephropathy potentially nephrotoxic, we investigated whether iopromide plasma clearance could be measured using a tenth of that dose as 'low-dose' clearance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty adult patients scheduled for CT were recruited. Iopromide 300 mg I/ml was used for GFR measurement. Prior to CT, low-dose clearance was measured by injecting 12 ml iopromide per 75 kg b.w. At 3, 4 and 5 h after injection, plasma samples were obtained and the iodine concentration was measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis. Immediately after the last blood sample, CT was again performed following injection of 120 ml iopromide per 75 kg b.w. A further 3 plasma samples were then obtained 3, 4, and 5 h after CT and used for the determination of high-dose clearance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-dose clearance ranged from 20 ml/min to 141 ml/min (mean 78.3 ml/min). High-dose and low-dose clearance correlated excellently, with clearance (high-dose) = 1.4 + 0.994 clearance (low-dose); the correlation coefficient was r = 0.944, the standard deviation SDxy= 9.3 ml/min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma clearance of iopromide is dose-independent on use of iodine amounts of 3.6 g and 36 g I/75 kg b.w. The GFR can be determined by high-dose and low-dose iopromide plasma clearance with identical accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany. nils.hackstein@radiol.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hackstein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Langheinrich
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Rau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide