Intravenous Contrast Medium-induced Nephrotoxicity: Is the Medical Risk Really as Great as We Have Come to Believe?

From the multiple perspectives described, it is our belief that the risk of CIN with CE CT has been exaggerated. Clinical rates and adverse outcomes from cardiac catheterization and intervention cannot be extrapolated to the clinical experience with CE CT. It appears that all currently used nonionic CM have similar safety profiles. We believe that modern CM pose only a small risk to renal function and that thresholds of creatinine above which CM are withheld for CT should be increased to improve the accuracy of CT examinations. The population of patients with mild to moderate renal dysfunction who would then receive CM should be analyzed carefully to determine whether the thresholds subsequently can be increased further. International radiologic professional organizations, such as the American College of Radiology, should revisit the basis of their practice guidelines to reduce their implications about the danger of CIN with CE CT. © RSNA, 2010.