Computed tomography (CT) is the cornerstone in the diagnostics of acute abdominal pain, which is a very common reason for seeking emergency medical evaluation. The CT is usually performed using intravenous contrast media, which improves the diagnostic accuracy dramatically compared to CT without contrast. Approximately 5-10% have either acute or chronic kidney insufficiency. As contrast media have been suspected to exacerbate kidney failure, these patients usually undergo CT scan without a contrast, which has lower accuracy leading to misdiagnoses and delays in treatment. Such misdiagnosis and delays may be fatal. This randomized controlled study aims to find out whether the best strategy for diagnosing acute abdominal pain in patients with impaired kidney function is contrast CT or CT without contrast. The results of this trial will have immediate clinical application as it guides the decisions of doctors in the emergency room on the best diagnostic strategy.

2022

2026