Experience with outpatient computed tomographic-guided renal biopsy

Native kidney biopsy is still performed primarily with hospital inpatient observation period. Experience with outpatient Computed Tomographic (CT)-guided renal biopsy at Yale New Haven Medical Center was studied to assess efficacy and safety. A total of 146 outpatient native kidney biopsies were identified between 1995 and 2001. Records were reviewed for demographics, clinical, and laboratory data and details of the procedure. Time of admission to the outpatient unit, duration of procedure and post-biopsy observation period were recorded. Complications such as bleeding, infection, admission to the hospital, transfusion, or intervention for continued bleeding were noted. Mean age was 43.9 ± 14.9 years and mean serum creatinine was 1.8 ± 1.4 mg/dl. Renal size averaged 11.4 cm. Post-procedure observation time of 4 - 6 h appeared to be adequate. Diagnostic tissue was successfully sampled in 98.6% of cases. Procedure was well tolerated with no hemodynamically significant changes. Hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration changes averaged 3.6 ± 2.5% and 1.0 ± 0.9 mg/dl, respectively (p < 0.001). There were no instances of death or need for intervention. Transfusion was required in 1 patient while 6 patients had detectable bleeding and were hospitalized for observation. Outpatient CT-guided kidney biopsy provides adequate tissue and appears to be safe with very low complication rates.