OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the dialysability of gadoteric acid in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring hemodialysis. Gadoteric acid is used for magnetic resonance imaging. It is cleared from the blood exclusively by glomerular filtration. In an attempt to decrease the occurrence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, hemodialysis has been advocated immediately after injection of gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients with ESRD.METHODS: Ten patients with ESRD underwent 3 consecutive 4-hour hemodialysis sessions after a single intravenous injection (0.1 mmol/kg) of gadoteric acid. Blood samples were drawn from the vascular access just before and immediately after the end of each 4-hour session. Additional sampling was performed during session 1.RESULTS: Gadoteric acid was efficiently eliminated, with mean (95% confidence interval) clearance values (mL/min) of 224.6 (216.0-233.9) at 0.5 hours and 225.9 (215.6-237.2) at 1.5 hours during session 1. The gadolinium concentration decrease after a 4-hour hemodialysis (vs the corresponding predialysis values) was 97% after session 1. The decrease in gadolinium concentration after session 3 was 99.7% compared with the predialysis concentration of session 1. These percentages are similar to those reported after hemodialysis for other gadolinium-based contrast agents. No adverse effects related to gadoteric acid were reported.CONCLUSION: Although no unconfounded case of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis has been reported so far after injection of gadoteric acid, hemodialysis can be efficiently used to remove this molecule in patients with ESRD already undergoing long-term hemodialysis.
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