The need for prophylactic hemodialysis to protect against nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving gadolinium-based contrast agents

Abstract

Background

The risk of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agent (GBCA)-induced nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the efficacy of prophylactic hemodialysis (HD) for protection against NSF are not well understood or summarized in the literature.

Purpose

To determine the risk for NSF related to frequency and time per dialysis session after Gd-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by emphasizing the safety of Gd-MRI in patients with ESRD.

Material and Methods

This retrospective observational study identified all GBCA injections for MRI examinations performed at two tertiary referral hospitals between 2005 and 2020. All clinical data, including dialysis records and medical history, were investigated for each patient through 2021. The end of follow-up coincided with the last hospital visit.

Results

Overall, 1129 patients with ESRD underwent 1461 Gd-MRI scans (41.5% gadoterate, 39.4% gadobutrol, and 7.7% gadoxetate); a total of 958 patients with 1229 (84.1%) examinations underwent HD on the day of the MRI study, within 2.1 ± 2.0 h (range = 0.2–15.7 h) immediately after Gd exposure. In 53.4% of scans, frequent HD had been performed urgently and then twice more on consecutive days to prophylactically avoid NSF. No cases of NSF were identified during the follow-up period (mean = 81.7 ± 50.5 months) regardless of dose of HD.

Conclusion

No cases of NSF were reported in 1461 Gd-MRI examinations of 1129 inpatients with ESRD on HD. Our findings support the lack of benefit of frequent prophylactic HD being performed urgently within 4 h of the receipt of GBCA.