Cooling Protects Kidney During Cardiac Catheterization

A new potential therapy for patients undergoing cardiac catheterization involves mild hypothermia to protect the kidneys of patients at risk of developing radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN) during the procedure.

The Reprieve endovascular temperature therapy system enables the rapid induction of hypothermia in a conscious or unconscious patient by use of a venous heat exchange catheter. It provides rapid and precise cooling, maintenance, and re-warming of the patient's core body temperature. A catheter is threaded into the femoral vein and positioned in the inferior vena cava. As cool sterile saline is circulated within the catheter, blood flowing past the catheter is cooled, and the blood then reduces the body temperature. To re-warm the patient, the sterile saline within the catheter is simply warmed.

The Reprieve system is undergoing prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trials designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovascular cooling for preventing RCN in high risk patients. The study is being conducted at 35 sites and will enroll 400 patients.

The Reprieve system is a product of Radiant Medical (Redwood City, CA, USA).

"Patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency or diabetes are at particularly high risk of developing RCN after cardiac catheterization,” said Kenneth G. Hayes, president and CEO of Radiant Medical. "Unfortunately, heart disease and kidney disorders frequently go hand in hand, so a large number of patients requiring cardiac catheterization do have renal insufficiency or diabetes and could benefit from an adjunctive therapy to reduce the risk of RCN.”

Clinical guidelines define RCN as an acute decline in kidney function after the systemic administration of contrast agents. RCN is a common cause of acute kidney failure, and is associated with prolonged hospitalization, a need for temporary or permanent hemodialysis, and significant morbidity and mortality.



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