Effect of a Contrast Modulation System on Contrast Media Use and the Rate of Acute Kidney Injury After Coronary Angiography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the AVERT (AVERT Clinical Trial for Contrast Media Volume Reduction and Incidence of CIN) trial was to test the efficacy of the AVERT system to reduce the contrast media volume (CMV) used during coronary angiographic procedures without impairing image quality and to prevent contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients at risk for CI-AKI.

BACKGROUND: CI-AKI is a common complication of percutaneous coronary procedures, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The AVERT system alters the coronary injection pressure profile by diverting contrast away from the patient during coronary injection.

METHODS: The AVERT trial was a prospective, multicenter, 1:1 randomized clinical trial in 578 subjects with either baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate 20 to 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 or estimated glomerular filtration rate 30 to 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and at least 2 additional risk factors for CI-AKI. Patients undergoing coronary angiography with planned or possible percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized to hydration plus the AVERT system (n = 292) or hydration only (n = 286). The primary effectiveness endpoints were: 1) the total CMV used; and 2) the incidence of CI-AKI, defined as a ≥0.3 mg/dl increase in serum creatinine within 5 days post-procedure.

RESULTS: Patient demographics were well balanced between the groups, with mean baseline serum creatinine of 1.6 ± 0.4 mg/dl and 64.9% patients with diabetes mellitus. PCI was performed in 42.2% of procedures, with coronary angiography in the remainder. Use of AVERT resulted in a 15.5% relative reduction in CMV overall (85.6 ± 50.5 ml vs. 101.3 ± 71.1 ml; p = 0.02) and a 22.8% relative reduction in CMV among PCI patients (114 ± 55 ml vs. 147 ± 81 ml; p = 0.001). The maximum relative reduction in CMV was 46% (124 ± 48 ml vs. 232 ± 97 ml; p = 0.01) when ≥3 lesions were treated. There were no differences in the rates of CI-AKI (27.0% vs. 26.6%; p = 0.70) between the study groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of the AVERT system was feasible and safe, with acceptable image quality during coronary angiography and PCI. AVERT significantly reduced CMV, with the extent of CMV reduction correlating with procedural complexity. No significant differences in CI-AKI were observed with AVERT in this trial. (AVERT Clinical Trial for Contrast Media Volume Reduction and Incidence of CIN [AVERT]; NCT01976299).