Clinical question: Do either intravenous sodium bicarbonate or oral acetylcysteine prevent renal morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing angiography?
Background: Both intravenous sodium bicarbonate and acetylcysteine are commonly used therapies aimed at preventing contrast-induced nephropathy. However, data regarding their efficacy are controversial, and prior studies have largely included patients with normal renal function.
Dr. Amanda Lusa
Study design: Multinational, randomized, controlled, double-blind, clinical trial.
Setting: Medical centers (53) throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
Synopsis: This study included 4,993 patients with CKD, stage III and IV, who were scheduled for angiography. The study population was predominately male (93.6%) and had diabetes (80.9%). Patients were randomized to receive either sodium bicarbonate or normal saline infusion, and oral acetylcysteine or placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of death, dialysis, or a sustained increase in creatinine by 50% at 90 days, and the secondary outcome was contrast-associated acute kidney injury. There was no interaction between sodium bicarbonate and acetylcysteine. Neither therapy prevented the primary or secondary outcome. The main limitations to this study included a very narrow demographic making the results hard to extrapolate beyond male diabetes patients receiving contrast for angiography. Overall, this study suggests that treatment with sodium bicarbonate or acetylcysteine does not improve the contrast-related morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD III and IV.
Bottom line: Neither intravenous sodium bicarbonate nor acetylcysteine led to improved renal outcomes in predominantly male patients with diabetes and baseline renal dysfunction undergoing angiography.
Citation: Weisbord SD et al. Outcomes after angiography with sodium bicarbonate and acetylcysteine. N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMal1710933.
Dr. Lusa is assistant professor of medicine, division of hospital medicine, University of Virginia.