Effectiveness of Oral Hydration in Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Individuals Undergoing Elective Coronary Interventions

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is defined as worsening renal function, represented by an increase in serum creatinine of ≥ 25% or ≥ 0.5 mg/dL up to 72 h after exposure to iodinated contrast medium (ICM). The most effective preventive measure to date is intravenous hydration (IVH). Little is known about the effectiveness of outpatient oral hydration (OH). To investigate whether outpatient OH with water is as effective as IVH with 0.9% saline solution in preventing CIN in elective coronary procedures. In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the medical records and laboratory data of individuals undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures with ICM. Data collected between 2012 and 2015 refer to individuals who underwent IVH and those collected between 2016 and 2020 (after implementation of an OH protocol) correspond to individuals who underwent OH at home before and after coronary procedures as instructed by the nursing team. Statistical significance was established at α = 0.05. In total, 116 patients were included in this study: 58 in the IVH group and 58 in the OH group. An incidence of CIN of 15% (9/58) was observed in the group that received IVH and an incidence of 12% (7/58) was seen in the group that received OH (p = 0.68). The OH protocol, performed by the patient, appears to be as effective as the in-hospital IVH protocol for the renal protection of individuals susceptible to CIN in elective coronary interventions. These findings should be put to test in larger trials.