Changing trends in incidence and predictors of radiographic contrast nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention with use of fenoldopam

In patient,, with renal insufficiency, radiographic contrast nephropathy (RCN) after percutaneous coronary intervention is a frequent cause of acute renal failure contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. Fenoldopam. a specific dopamine-1 receptor agonist, by increasing renal blood flow. is a useful adjunct during percutaneous coronary intervention for preventing RCN because it lowered the incidence to <4% in a series of 260 consecutive patient,, with chronic renal insufficiency: its renoprotective benefit was more pronounced in high-risk patients with diabetes mellitus and moderate renal failure. Also. traditional risk factors predictive of RCN are no longer valid and advanced age is the only independent predictor.