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Article: Preventing side effects of radiographic contrast agents with N-acetylcysteine.
- Article from:
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Article date:
- February 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Townsend Letter Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Eighty-three patients with chronic renal insufficiency (mean serum creatinine, 2.4 mg/dl) who were undergoing computed tomography with a contrast agent were randomly assigned to receive N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or placebo (blinding not specified). The dosage of NAC was 600 mg orally twice daily, on the day before and the day of administration of the contrast agent. Both groups received intravenous hydration with 0.45% saline. An increase of at least 0.5 mg/dl in the serum creatinine concentration 48 hours after administration of the contrast agent was seen in 2.4% of the patients in the NAC group, compared with 21% of those in control group (risk reduction = 89%; p = 0.01). ...