Objective This study aimed to assess the beneficial effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the treatment of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN).

Materials and Methods A prospective study was conducted in the department of cardiology of a tertiary health care hospital. A sample of 100 patients who had developed CIN through coronary angioplasty were categorized into two groups: one group treated with intravenous fluids (IVF) monotherapy and the other group treated with the combination of IVF and NAC therapy.

Statistical Analysis The data were analyzed using statistical software SPSS software version 26 and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Independent t-test and paired t-test were used to analyze the parameters.

Results The rate of incidence of CIN was found to be 10%. We observed that the IVF + NAC combination therapy significantly decreases the serum creatinine compared to IVF monotherapy (p = 0.004). Both therapies show similar treatment outcomes with no significant difference (p = 0.556) in the case of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Based on creatinine clearance, the results show adding NAC does not impact any additional benefits (p = 000). The duration of hospital stay of the NAC group was reduced significantly (p = 0.000).

Conclusion At present, we found that the treatment outcomes which we analyzed based on factors such as serum creatinine, eGFR, and creatinine clearance, are too inconsistent to conclude the beneficial effect of NAC in the management of CIN.

The study was approved by the PSG Institutional Human Ethics Committee. The approval date and number are February 14, 2018 and IHEC # 086, respectively. Due to the retrospective study design, a waiver of the informed consent was obtained.

The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Article published online:
26 March 2024

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