An Investigation of N-acetylcysteine and Fenoldopam as Renal Protection Agents for Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac Surgical Procedures, Kidney Failure, Acute, Kidney Failure, Chronic

Kidney failure, Cardiac Surgery, Fenoldopam, N-acetylcysteine

Patients with abnormal kidney function are at increased risk for complications following heart surgery, including worsening kidney function possibly requiring dialysis, a prolonged stay in the critical care unit and hospital, and the increased risk of death. Prior attempts at kidney protection for heart surgery patients have had mixed results. Two medicines, fenoldopam and N-acetylcysteine, have been shown to protect kidney function in other circumstances that cause kidney stress. The purpose of this study is to determine whether these medications will help to maintain the function of diseased kidneys during heart surgery.

This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate fenoldopam and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) individually, and together, as renal protective agents for patients with renal insufficiency undergoing heart surgery. Subjects have chronic renal insufficiency with creatinine clearance (CrCl) \</= 40cc/min but not on pre-operative dialysis, and receive: NAC 600 mg by mouth (po) twice a day (bid) or placebo starting 24 hours pre-operative and continuing through the day of surgery; and/or fenoldopam 0.1 mcg/kg/min intravenous (IV) or saline placebo at anesthetic induction and continuing for 48 hours. Outcome data include: nadir, post-operative day 3 and post-operative day 14 CrCl, time to CrCl nadir, length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, length of post-operative hospital stay, hospital costs, mortality, and the need for hemodialysis. Intraoperative and post-operative pressor use is being monitored. The enrollment will include 80 patients (20 in each group).

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