title: Low-contrast dose protection protocol for diagnostic computed tomography in patients at high-risk for contrast-induced nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety of a low-contrast dose computed tomography (CT) protocol for patients with renal insufficiency for contrast-induced nephropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred forty-three patients with renal insufficiency who underwent low-contrast dose-enhanced abdominal CT were reviewed. Another group of 327 patients who received unenhanced CT was reviewed as a control group. Baseline serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels were obtained for all patients to determine the contrast dosing (1.6 and 1.0 mL/kg for patients with eGFR levels 30-59 and 15-29). We compared the incidence of acute kidney injury between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the incidence of acute kidney injury between the low-contrast dose and unenhanced CT protocols (9.1% vs 8.3%, P = 0.77). None of the patients with renal dysfunction required postprocedure dialysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low-contrast dose CT protocol might enable us to perform a contrast-enhanced study without any major safety concerns.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Radiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan. masafkidoh@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kidoh
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakaura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Awai
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Kenichirō
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanoue
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Shouzaburou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061214:Patient Safety; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media