Contrast Induced Nephropathy After Brain and Cervical CT Angiography in Stroke Patients: A Prospective Study

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a major side effect of intravenous iodinated contrast and causes both short- and long-term adverse effects. While diagnostic and interventional procedures of brain ischemia are recently advanced, it is necessary to be cautious about its major side effect.

To evaluate CIN and its risk factors in neurology patients after brain and cervical CT angiography. 

This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients who were admitted in stroke department of Nemazee hospital, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran, and had undergone brain and cervical CT angiography from September 2014 to September 2016. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) before contrast (BUN1, Cr1), 3 days after contrast (BUN2, Cr2), and 30 days after contrast (BUN3, Cr3) were recorded. t-test, paired t-test, Chi-squared test, repeated measurement-test and also SPSS V. 21 are used for statistical analysis.

5(2.7%) patients developed CIN after receiving contrast. However, repeated measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and Cr at the end of one month showed no significant changes between Cr3 and GFR3 in 2 groups of non-CIN and CIN patients, and all patients showed normal renal function at that time. Multiivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hemoglobin (Hb) level is related to CIN (OR:0.5, CI: 0.28-0.90). 

Our data showed that the rate of CIN in neurovascular evaluation was insignificant, but it is related to Hb level.