If you have any questions or concerns, you can discuss the use of contrast media with your own doctor or specialist who is referring you for the radiology test, and about the need for a kidney function test or any special medication that might be required before having the test.
Any concerns can also be discussed with medical staff where you are having the scan or procedure; that is, the radiographer medical imaging technologist who will carry out the scan, or to the radiologist specialist doctor who interprets the images and provides your referring doctor or specialist with a report. What are the generally accepted indications for a gadolinium contrast medium injection?
The gadolinium contrast agent increases the signal from…. What is an angioplasty and stent insertion? Angioplasty and stent insertion is used to treat narrowing in an artery. Clinical radiology is a specialised branch of medicine that uses state of the art equipment and a range of techniques….
What is a coronary artery calcium scoring? A coronary artery calcium score is a measurement of the amount of calcium…. It issues no invitation to any person to act or rely upon such opinions, advices or information or any of them and it accepts no responsibility for any of them.
The content of this publication is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Some of the tests and procedures included in this publication may not be available at all radiology providers. Each person should rely on their own inquires before making decisions that touch their own interests. Find information about a clinical radiology procedure or test: Refine search Reset. Health professional information. The gadolinium contrast agent increases the signal from… Read more. Angioplasty and Stent Insertion What is an angioplasty and stent insertion?
Angioplasty… Read more. Definition Clinical radiology is a specialised branch of medicine that uses state of the art equipment and a range of techniques… Read more. Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring What is a coronary artery calcium scoring? A coronary artery calcium score is a measurement of the amount of calcium… Read more.
Contrast is invaluable when imaging tumors in major body organs like your brain or in your central nervous system. Most MRI scan contrast agents contain a metal called gadolinium. Doctors commonly use gadolinium in contrast MRI scans due to the way it travels in the magnetic fields. Since then, doctors have been using them to evaluate over million patients all over the world. The contrast agents help doctors identify problem areas on MRIs.
Doctors perform MRIs in the U. To begin the scan, the technologist will place a tourniquet around your arm or hand and then use a small butterfly needle or IV to inject the contrast material into your vein. They may also use an automated injector to administer the contrast medium. The GBCAs attach to other chemicals to keep them from being harmful. Having an MRI with contrast may lead to some side effects and safety concerns, including those below.
If this occurs, it could result in a complication known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis NSF. This condition thickens your skin and your connective tissues throughout your body.
While NSF is rare , it can be a potentially debilitating complication that results from giving patients with poor kidney function GBCAs. Because of this, before receiving contrast for an MRI exam, doctors routinely screen patients for kidney function. Further, patients should receive dialysis as soon as possible following their MRI with contrast scan to promptly remove the agent from their body. However, a small number of individuals will experience adverse effects, ranging from mild to severe.
The most common side effects are:. Some conditions increase the risk of an allergic or adverse reaction to iodine-based contrast materials. Being at increased risk for an allergic or adverse reaction to contrast material does not necessarily mean a patient cannot undergo an imaging exam with contrast materials.
Medications are sometimes given before the contrast material is administered to lessen the risk of an allergic reaction in susceptible patients.
The contrast material used in MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging called gadolinium is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based materials used for x-rays and CT scanning. Very rarely, patients are allergic to gadolinium-based contrast materials and experience hives and itchy eyes.
Reactions are usually mild and easily controlled by medication. Severe reactions are rare. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis NSF , a thickening of the skin, organs, and other tissues, is a rare complication in patients with kidney disease that undergo an MR with contrast material. Gadolinium-based contrast material may be withheld in some patients with severe kidney disease. There is evidence that tiny traces of gadolinium may be retained in different organs of the body, including the brain, after contrast-enhanced MRI.
While there are no known negative effects from this, your doctor may take gadolinium retention into account when selecting a contrast agent. There are many different gadolinium-based contrast agents available, each with its own safety profile. Decisions on which material to use may be affected by the part of the body being imaged, the cost of the material and other factors. These decisions are especially important in patients likely to undergo multiple MRI scans with gadolinium-based contrast material, such as pediatric patients, cancer patients and people with multiple sclerosis.
If a barium-sulfate contrast material given orally or rectally will be used during your exam, you will be asked not to eat for several hours before your exam begins. If the contrast material will be given rectally, you may also be asked to cleanse your colon with a special diet and medication possibly including an enema before your exam.
If you swallow the contrast material, you may find the taste mildly unpleasant; however, most patients can easily tolerate it. If your contrast material is given by enema, you can expect to experience a sense of abdominal fullness and an increasing need to expel the liquid. The mild discomfort will not last long. It is a good idea to increase your fluid intake after an imaging exam involving a barium-based contrast material to help remove the contrast material from your body.
Barium-sulfate contrast materials are expelled from the body with feces. You can expect bowel movements to be white for a few days. Some patients may experience changes in their normal bowel movement patterns for the first 12 to 24 hours. When an iodine-based contrast material is injected into your bloodstream, you may have a warm, flushed sensation and a metallic taste in your mouth that lasts for a few minutes.
The needle may cause you some discomfort when it is inserted. Once it is removed, you may experience some bruising. It is a good idea to increase your fluid intake after an imaging exam involving an iodine-based contrast material to help remove the contrast material from your body. When the gadolinium is injected, it is normal to feel coolness at the site of injection, usually the arm for a minute or two.
If you have not been sedated, no recovery period is necessary. You may resume your usual activities and normal diet immediately after the exam. Increased fluid intake will help eliminate the contrast material from your body. Prior to any imaging exam, women should always inform their physician or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant. Many imaging tests and contrast material administrations are avoided during pregnancy to minimize risk to the baby.
For CT imaging, if a pregnant woman must undergo imaging with an iodine-based contrast material, the patient should have a discussion with her referring physician and radiologist to understand the potential risks and benefits of the contrast-enhanced scan.
For MR imaging, gadolinium contrast material administration is usually avoided due to unknown risk to the baby. However, it may be used when critical information can only be obtained with the use of the gadolinium-based contrast agent. Manufacturers of intravenous contrast provide special instructions for mothers who are breast feeding. They advise that mothers should not breast-feed their babies for 24 to 48 hours after contrast medium is given.
However, both the American College of Radiology ACR and the European Society of Urogenital Radiology note that the available data suggest it is safe to continue breast-feeding after receiving intravenous contrast.
We believe, therefore, that the available data suggest that it is safe for the mother and infant to continue breast-feeding after receiving such an agent. If the mother remains concerned about any potential ill effects, she should be given the opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether to continue or temporarily abstain from breast-feeding after receiving a gadolinium contrast medium.
If the mother so desires, she may abstain from breast-feeding for 24 hours with active expression and discarding of breast milk from both breasts during that period. In anticipation of this, she may wish to use a breast pump to obtain milk before the contrast study to feed the infant during the hour period following the examination.
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