Determination of creatinine level before administration of intravenous iodinated contrast media at two selected hospitals in Ghana
Keywords:
Creatinine clearance, diagnostic imaging, safety profilesAbstract
Background: In spite of the development and availability of newer contrast media with reduced and enhanced safety profiles, certain patients remain at risk for serious adverse reactions. Creatinine clearance is widely used to assess at-risk patients. This is an acceptable practice for estimating the glomerular filtration rate.
Aim: The aim of the study was to find out whether creatinine clearance is determined before administration of intravenous iodinated contrast medium (IICM) in some selected contrast-usage hospitals in Ghana.
Method: The research was a descriptive survey. The participants were selected through purposive sampling. Fifty-nine (59) questionnaires were sent to radiographers, radiologists and physicians from the respective imaging and urology departments of the selected hospitals. Fifty (n=50) completed questionnaires were received. Descriptive statistics was used to generate the results.
Results: The study achieved a response rate of 85%. Most of the respondents (n=41; 82%); did not enquire or determine creatinine clearance of their patients before referring or performing procedures that involved the use of IICM. Reasons given for not doing so were as follows: cost involved (n=16; 32%), delay in booking (n=15; 30%), and booking disruptions (n=4; 8%). The test was considered to be cumbersome by eight (16%) of the respondents , whereas ten (20%) indicated they did not determine it because they relied on other staff (radiographers/radiologists relied on referring physicians and vice versa).
Conclusion: Determination of creatinine clearance before IICM examinations by referring clinicians appeared lacking in the selected hospitals in Accra. The imaging departments also do not check their patients’ creatinine clearance or levels before performing procedures. It is appropriate that the creatinine status is checked to avoid serious adverse reactions to at-risk patients. However, there are challenges in checking patients’ creatinine status, such as delays in booking patients, booking disruptions, high cost, the cumbersome nature of the test and communication gap.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright on all published material belongs to the Society of Radiographers of South Africa (SORSA).I hereby understand and declare that:
- All proprietary rights other than copyright are reserved to the authors, as well as the right to reproduce original figures and tables from this item in their future works, provided full credit is given to the original publication The South African Radiographer ISSN 0258 0241.
- In consideration of the reviewing and editing done by the editors of The South African Radiographer of the above named manuscript, the author/s hereby transfer, assign, or otherwise convey all copyright ownership world-wide, in all languages, to the Society of Radiographers of South Africa in the event that this manuscript is accepted for publication.
- If the manuscript has been commissioned by another person or organisation, or if it has been written as part of the duties of an employee, that full authorization has been given by the representative of the commissioning organisation or employer to be published in the The South African Radiographer.