Use of Prophylactic High-Dose Statin Therapy to Reduce Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Adults Undergoing Acute Coronary Angiography: Evaluation of a Practice Change.

Background: Development of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, hospital length of stay, and overall health care costs.

Objectives: The purpose of this project was to evaluate a clinical practice change-the addition of high-dose statin therapy to standard renal protection measures-in adults undergoing acute cardiac catheterization procedures and assessing its effect on CI-AKI.

Method: The evaluation was a pretest/posttest descriptive design. Adult patients undergoing acute cardiac catheterization procedures were evaluated for the rate of CI-AKI before (10 months preimplementation, N = 283) and after (10 months postimplementation, N = 286) a recent practice change that added high-dose statin therapy (within 24 hours of dye exposure) to a standard renal protection bundle (intravenous fluids, maximum dye calculations, and avoidance of nephrotoxic medications). Outcomes included the rate of CI-AKI, stage of acute kidney injury, need for new hemodialysis, discharge disposition (alive or died in the hospital), and hospital length of stay.

Results: Patients in the postintervention group that received renal protection bundle with high-dose statin had significantly lower incidence of CI-AKI (10.1% pre vs 3.2% post; P < .001). There were no significant differences in hospital length of stay, need for new hemodialysis, or mortality. Administration of high-dose statin within 24 hours of the cardiac catheterization procedure improved significantly (19.4% pre vs 74.1% post; P < .001). Adherence to all 5 components of the renal bundle improved post intervention (17% pre vs 73.4% post; P < .001).

Discussion: The addition of a high-dose statin in addition to existing renal protective measures in patients with acute cardiac procedures is associated with a decreased incidence of CI-AKI.