Contrast Induced Nephropathy

So for decades people have talked about Contrast Induced Nephropathy…or Contrast Induced Acute Kidney Injury, depending on the decade and location of discussion. The theory being that diuresis, increased urine viscosity and changes in vasoconstriction and vasodilation leads to a worsening of renal function following iv contrast administration.

It seems to come from the 1950's where some patients were seen to develop acute kidney injuries following iv contrast. Now times have changed and treatments and contrasts evolved but the discussion around contrast induced nephropathy continues. At times these discussion can mean that some patients wait for scans in the Emergency Department whilst waiting for blood tests to come back first. But is this the right thing to do?

In this episode we take a look at the origins of contrast induced nephropathy, consider some recent publications on the topic and see how this translates to practice and applications of the most recent guidelines.

Reading around the topic has been hugely informative for us and we hope will be of benefit to you too!

Enjoy

Simon & Rob