GE Healthcare’s iodixanol, an isosmolar contrast medium, shows lower incidence of elevated serum creatinine (SCr) or decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than iopromide, concluded a study written by a team of physicians and researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina, and published in Radiology.

The study included 117 patients with decreased renal function, defined as SCr>1.5 mg/mL or GFR<60mL/minute. Each patient underwent contrast-enhanced computed-tomography (CT) studies. Sixty-one patients were administered iodixanol, while 56 were administered iopromide. The study measured changes in SCr levels and GFR at plus one, two, and three days post-CT and then monitored outcomes at 30 and 90 days.

Fewer patients administered iodixanol showed an SCr increase of 25% or greater, 8.5% vs. 28% respectively. No patients in either group showed a contrast media related adverse event at the 30- or 90-day follow-up. There was a clinically-relevant GFR reduction of 5mL/min in significantly more patients in the iopromide group than in the iodixanol group; 42.3% vs. 24.1%.

The study concluded that while intravenous contrast material application in high-risk patients is unlikely to be associated with permanent adverse outcomes, SCr levels after contrast material administration are lower in the iodixanol group than in the iopromide group.