Abstract

Cheang Cheng Ye, Endang Kumolosasi, Chua Eng Wee

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is used in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in our institution. The variation in clinical effects as a result of dosage differences between intravenous (IV) and oral administration warrants further investigation. This study primarily aimed to evaluate the incidence of CIN in patients with renal impairment, comparing those who received IV NAC with those receiving oral NAC. This was an observational, retrospective study conducted from 1st January, 2007 to 31st March, 2010. The study included 94 renally impaired patients (baseline glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 70 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) who had undergone iodinated-contrast procedure, and received either IV NAC (150 mg/kg pre-procedure, then 50 mg/kg post-procedure) or oral NAC (600 mg twice daily for one day before the procedure, then for two days after the procedure). The changes in serum creatinine (SCr) over time: pre-procedure, post-procedure 24, 48 and 72 h for both regimens were recorded and analysed.