Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in 2010 (Clinical Report‪)‬

There has been a continual and dramatic increase in the utilization of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) over the last 2 decades. In the United States alone, approximately 68.7 million CT scans were performed in 2007. (1) As many as 50% of these scans could have been performed with contrast media, which means there were approximately 34 million doses of contrast media administered in 2007. About 80% to 90% of contrast medium is used for CT and 10% to 20% for cardiac catheterization procedures. Under normal physiologic conditions, nearly all of the contrast medium is eliminated through the kidneys. The concentration achieved in the renal tubular system is [less than or equal to] 100 times the concentration of the contrast material in plasma and approaches [less than or equal to] 30% of the concentration of the injected solution. (2) It is not surprising that contrast media could be a cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). In this update, recent advances in our understanding of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) for contrast-enhanced CT will be reviewed. Criteria for CIN