Incidence of Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Renal-Competent COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Computed Chest Angiography

Farzad Sedaghat, Harshna V. Vadvala, Alan Shan, Michael T. McMahon, Rakhee S. Gawande

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose COVID-19 infection poses a significant risk of both renal injury and pulmonary embolism, producing a clinical challenge, as the criterion standard examination for pulmonary embolism, computed tomography angiography (CTA), requires the use of nephrotoxic iodinated contrast agents. Our investigation evaluated whether symptomatic COVID-19-positive patients without laboratory evidence of renal impairment are at increased risk for developing contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI). Method All COVID-19-positive patients undergoing noncontrast chest computed tomography and CTA at an apex tertiary medical center between March 1 and December 10, 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. A total of 258 renal-competent (estimated glomerular filtration rate >30) patients with baseline and 48- to 72-hour postexamination creatinine measurements were identified and analyzed for incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) meeting the criteria for CA-AKI. Results Twenty-five of 191 patients undergoing CTA (13.1%) and 9 of the 67 undergoing noncontrast computed tomography (13.4%) experienced creatinine increases meeting the criteria for CA-AKI. Univariate and multivariate analyses accounting for known AKI risk factors revealed no correlation between iodinated contrast administration and the incidence AKI meeting the criteria for CA-AKI (univariable odds ratio, 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.43-2.20]; multivariable odds ratio, 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.40-2.36]). Conclusions Renal-competent COVID-19 patients undergoing chest CTA may not have an increased risk of AKI. Additional studies are needed to confirm this preliminary finding.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)701-706
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of computer assisted tomography
Volume46
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2022

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • CT angiography
  • contrast-associated acute kidney injury
  • contrast-induced nephropathy
  • nephrotoxicity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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