The Effect of Intravenous Contrast Agents on Renal Functions in Children and Adolescents in the King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah

Abstract

Computerized tomography scanning is a diagnostic imaging tool that can be enhanced through the use of contrast agents. However, this process has been found to promote adverse effects, particularly those on the renal function. This study assessed the effects of intravenous iodine-based contrast agents on the kidney function in children and adolescents in the King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It included 112 participants with hospital records, aged 15 years old and younger, who underwent chest or abdomen tomography scans between January 2018 and January 2019. The participants were made up of 46.4% females and 53.6% males, with a median age of 5.5 years. Majority (87.5%) of them possessed various comorbidities. This study found out that the glomerular filtration rate before and after the administration of intravenous contrast was not affected by a specific disease category, or even with no known comorbidities. However, future studies in this area should be conducted to cover more centers and regions of Saudi Arabia, but with the use of the recently identified biomarkers of AKI, such as the acute kidney injury, such as the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and the kidney injury molecule-1, in order to match specific independent factors, such as age groups, gender, and variable comorbidities.