Contrast dye used in heart procedures can zap your kidneys

With all the risks that can be involved in medical tests and procedures, here’s one you might not be aware of: “contrast-induced nephropathy.”

In plain language, that means a contrast dye injected inside your body can cause kidney failure.

And here’s where things get tricky.

If you’re undergoing a cardiac catheterization (a.k.a. an angioplasty to have a stent inserted), you may not even know that a dye will be used, let alone that it can zap your kidney function.

That’s bad enough.

But now we know that many doctors seem to be paying no attention whatsoever to this threat. In fact, a new study discovered that some have up to 30 percent of their patients suddenly losing kidney function after an angioplasty!

So, if you or a loved one will be undergoing any such cardiac procedure, it’s urgent for you to know exactly how well your kidneys are working… and how much care your doc will be taking to protect them… so that they keep working.

No set standard

It’s hard to imagine someone going in for what’s considered a common outpatient procedure and ending up with kidney failure.

Yet it’s happening all the time.

Some researchers even refer to it as “hospital-acquired renal dysfunction.”

Certainly, you’re in the greatest danger if your kidneys aren’t in tip-top shape, but that’s far from the only reason you need to be concerned. Other research has found if you’re diabetic, older, or dehydrated… have high blood pressure or CHF… or take a lot of NSAIDs for pain… you also could wind up with compromised kidneys.

In other words, a whole lot of patients need careful evaluation before being administered these contrast dyes. But where this danger is concerned, it’s like no one is minding the store.

Even the American Heart Association downplays the risk, saying merely that dyes can cause “some people to feel sick to their stomachs, get itchy or develop hives.”

Well, I’d say that’s just a bit of an understatement, AHA.

But for the icing on the cake, some new research out of Washington University School of Medicine and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute has found that doctors aren’t even limiting the amount of contrast dyes given to those who are in the most jeopardy of a serious adverse reaction.

On top of that, there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how much dye is being injected into patients, with some docs using over six times as much as others. And while some patients are able to recover, others suffer permanent kidney damage and end up on dialysis as a result.

While this new study was specifically about angioplasty, also called PCI, contrast dyes are used in another catheter procedure called angiography. That’s where X-rays are taken as the dye goes through your blood vessels.

And recently I told you about the dangers of one of these dyes given before an MRI that contains a substance called gadolinium. Gadolinium-based contrast dyes have caused untold numbers of patients to be afflicted with a horrible, disabling condition that turns their skin thick and hard and makes it difficult — if not impossible — to move.

Gadolinium has also turned up in brain tumor biopsies — and that’s despite the fact we were assured by the FDA that our kidneys clean it out a short time after use.

The bottom line here is that if you’re scheduled for a PCI, or any type of procedure that uses a contrast dye, it’s of the utmost importance to have a heart-to-heart talk with your doctor about how to lower your risk.

Some of the best ways can include:

• Making sure you’re not dehydrated before undergoing one of these tests. Some doctors even use IV fluids to enhance hydration.
• Discontinuing any drugs you’re taking that are toxic to the kidneys, under the watchful eye of your doctor. These include antibiotics, meds for RA and high blood pressure, proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium, and many OTC and Rx pain meds like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, aspirin, and Celebrex.
• Asking what the contrast dye is, how toxic it is to your kidneys, and if a more “kidney-friendly” one can be used. And make sure the dye doesn’t contain any gadolinium!

And last, but certainly not least, find out if a dye is absolutely required in your procedure. Because if it isn’t, there’s certainly no reason to put your kidneys in danger just because that’s “the way it’s always done.”

“Contrast use, kidney injury vary widely in PCI” Nicole Lou, July 7, 2017, Medpage Today, medpagetoday.com