Drip infusion urography with meglumine iodamide.

In a double-blind study of 283 patients (140 given iodamide and 143 diatrizoate), meglumine iodamide 24% produced a significantly greater degree of opacification than meglumine diatrizoate 30% (P less than 0.01 to P less than 0.001) in the renal calyces during the early phase of drip infusion pyelography. The agents were infused at a dose of 4.5 ml/kg, up to a maximum volume of 300 ml, over a period of about 10 min. The incidence and nature of laboratory abnormalities and clinical adverse reactions produced by the drugs were similar. No severe reactions occurred. The apparent superiority of the iodamide solution in the early stage of excretion, despite its lower iodine content, may be due to the partial secretion of iodamide by the renal tubules, as observed in other studies.