Abstract
Purpose: To assess the incidence of nephrotoxicity following i.v. injection of the iodinated low-osmolality contrast medium ioversol 300 (Optiray) in a geriatric population compared with a control group aged under 60 years, neither group presenting any associated risk factors.
Material and Methods: CT with i.v. bolus injection of ioversol 300 mg I/ml was performed at a mean dose of 1.36±0.06 ml/kg (range 1–2 ml/kg b.w.) in 47 patients aged over 69 years. Serum creatinine level was measured and creatinine clearance was calculated at 24, 48 and 72 h after the examination, and compared to a reference serum creatinine value taken before CT. the findings were compared with a control group of 44 patients aged under 60 years.
Results: No significant increase in serum creatinine (+0.6 mmol/l) or in creatinine clearance (+0.7 ml/min) was found during the course of 3 days after the injection. Only one patient (aged 82) presented an increase of 25% in serum creatinine (109 mmol/l).
Conclusion: the trial did not demonstrate any significant difference between the 2 groups, although the elderly patients had a subclinical renal impairment revealed by the decrease of the initial creatinine clearance. the use of low-osmolality ioversol makes it possible to perform examination with an iodinated contrast agent without increasing the incidence of nephrotoxicity in elderly subjects.