The preventive effects of different doses of atorvastatin on contrast‐induced acute kidney injury after CT perfusion

BACKGROUND: Contrast‐induced acute kidney injury (CI‐AKI) is a severe complication among patients receiving intravascular contrast media. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of pretreatment of atorvastatin at intensive doses on CI‐AKI after computed tomography (CT) perfusion. METHODS: The levels of serum creatinine (SCR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cystatin C (CysC), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in patients were compared between the observation group receiving 40 mg/kg atorvastatin and the control group receiving 20 mg/kg atorvastatin before and 72 h after CT examination. In addition, the incidence of CI‐AKI was recorded. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the incidence of renal injury in the observation group was significantly reduced, from 8% to 2% (χ (2) = 6.62, p = 0.010). In addition, there was no notable difference in the levels of Scr, BUN, CysC, hs‐CRP, and IL‐6 before CT examination between two groups (p > 0.05). The levels of SCR, BUN, CysC, hs‐CRP, and IL‐6 were increased, while the levels of eGFR were decreased in the control group at 72 h after CT examination (p < 0.05). At 72 h after CT enhancement, the levels of BUN, CysC, and hs‐CRP were prominently increased in the observation group (p < 0.05), while SCR, eGFR, and IL‐6 did not change (p > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of SCR, BUN, CysC, eGFR, hs‐CRP, and IL‐6 in the observation group were significantly decreased at 72 h after CT examination (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intensive dose of atorvastatin pretreatment can prevent CI‐AKI undergoing CT perfusion through lowering inflammation as well as renal function indexes SCR, CysC, BUN, and eGFR.