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Published on: August 18, 2016
Effectiveness of acetylcysteine on preventing renal dysfunction in patients undergoing coronary procedures
Shereif H Rezkalla1, Michele Benz
1Marshfield Clinic, Department of Cardiology, Marshfield, Wis, USA. rezkalla.shereif@marshfieldclinic.org
Insights
Acetylcysteine preserves kidney function in patients undergoing coronary procedures. This study shows its benefit in routine clinical practice for patients with renal dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Experimental studies suggest acetylcysteine benefits kidney function during cardiac procedures.
- The role of acetylcysteine in routine clinical practice for renal protection is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of acetylcysteine in preserving kidney function in patients with renal dysfunction undergoing coronary procedures in a clinical setting.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study comparing 75 patients receiving acetylcysteine with 56 control patients undergoing coronary procedures.
- All patients exhibited pre-existing renal dysfunction.
- Procedures were performed by a single operator.
Main Results:
- The acetylcysteine group showed a decrease in serum creatinine (-0.1 +/- 0.3 mg/dl) compared to a rise in the control group (0.2 +/- 0.6 mg/dl).
- The beneficial effect of acetylcysteine on kidney function was observed across all degrees of renal dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Acetylcysteine, in addition to hydration, should be routinely adopted in clinical practice for patients with renal dysfunction undergoing coronary procedures.
- This intervention is recommended for routine use in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Objective:
Experimental studies have shown that acetylcysteine is beneficial in preserving kidney function during coronary procedures. However, its role in routine clinical practice is not known.
Methods:
We studied 75 consecutive patients undergoing coronary procedures who received acetylcysteine, and compared them with 56 consecutive similar patients who served as control. All patients had renal dysfunction, and a single operator did all procedures.
Results:
Patients in the acetylcysteine group had a decrease in serum creatinine of 0.1 +/- 0.3 mg/dl versus a rise of 0.2 +/- 0.6 mg/dl in the control group (P<0.001). When the benefit in the active drug group was correlated with baseline creatinine, it occurred in all patients, regardless of the degree of kidney dysfunction.
Conclusion:
We conclude that in patients with varying degrees of renal dysfunction who undergo coronary procedures, acetylcysteine should be used in addition to hydration. It should be an accepted clinical practice that should be adopted routinely in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
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