Dialysis after Radiography May Be Unnecessary

Even though patients with chronic kidney disease are vulnerable to additional kidney damage from x-ray contrast, recent studies have failed to show a benefit from dialysis.

"Doctors are often called upon to provide hemodialysis treatments to remove contrast after x-ray studies in patients with kidney disease,” stated review author Dr. Roger Rodby, associate professor and director of inpatient dialysis activities at Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA), who published his study in the February 2007 issue of the journal Seminars in Dialysis. "This is often difficult to coordinate, and may occupy dialysis machines that are needed for more urgent treatments.” After reviewing the latest research, Dr. Rodby suggests that there is little evidence that dialysis can be provided in a timely enough manner to be effective.

Because contrast dye is removed predominantly by the kidneys, there has been a concern in patients already on dialysis without kidney function that the prolonged exposure to contrast may be damaging in ways other than to the kidneys. Dr. Rodby's review of the literature has found these concerns to be "unwarranted and that there is no need to routinely perform dialysis immediately following a contrast procedure in these chronic dialysis patients.” He suggests that discontinuing the practice would be safe, and would free resources that could be used more effectively elsewhere.




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Rush University Medical Center