Evaluation of the effects of noniodinized and iodinized ionic contrast media and gadoteric acid in acute necrotizing pancreatitis: experimental study in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of iodine contrast media and gadoteric acid in acute necrotizing pancreatitis. METHODS: Fifty rabbits were distributed in 5 groups: 10 rabbits were assigned in the control group (group 5) and 40 rabbits were assigned in the pancreatitis group, wherein acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced through retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate (1 mL/kg weight) in the main pancreatic duct. After 3 hours, they were randomized to receive endovenous iodinized nonionic contrast medium (group 1), iodinized ionic contrast medium (group 2), gadoteric acid (group 3), and physiological serum at 0.9% (group 4). Six hours after induction of pancreatitis, these animals were reoperated. During surgery, pancreatic tissue flow through laser Doppler, hematometric values, biochemistry, and histopathology analysis by hematoxylin and eosin were done. Statistical analysis using Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher-Freeman-Halton, and parametric t tests was performed. RESULTS: There was statistical significance when comparing tissue flow before and after induction of pancreatitis (P < 0.0001). Ionic and nonionic contrast media and gadoteric acid did not increase the grade of pancreatic necrosis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ionic and nonionic contrast media and gadoteric acid did not produce adverse effects in the present model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Interferences in clinical capillary zone electrophoresis of serum proteins.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) of serum proteins has become a well-accepted method for the separation of serum proteins and for the detection of monoclonal proteins in clinical laboratories. As CZE uses ultraviolet detection for direct protein quantification, exogenous ultraviolet-absorbing substances are a novel challenge, not present in conventional gel-based methods in which protein is quantified by dye binding. This minireview gives a survey of interfering substances, including iodinated contrast agents and antibiotics.

Ionic versus nonionic contrast media: a prospective study of the effect of rapid bolus injection on nausea and anaphylactoid reactions.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of bolus infusion of contrast medium (ionic versus nonionic) on the incidence of nausea and anaphylactoid reactions. METHOD: We prospectively studied 1,827 patients who had bolus enhanced body CT scans and divided them into four groups: 725 patients received higher osmolality contrast medium (HOCM) at the slower bolus rate of 1-2.5 ml/s (SLOW-HOCM group); 650 patients were in the FAST-HOCM group and received the same ionic contrast medium at 4-5 ml/s; 250 patients received lower osmolality contrast medium (LOCM) at 1-2.5 ml/s, forming the SLOW-LOCM group; and 202 patients in the FAST-LOCM group got the same nonionic agent at 4-5 ml/s. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in the rate of nausea among the first three groups: SLOW-HOCM (3.9%), FAST-HOCM (4.9%), and SLOW-LOCM (3.2%). A statistically significant lower incidence of nausea (0.5%) was found in the FAST-LOCM group. Anaphylactoid reactions were significantly more common in both groups who received HOCM (8.3 and 9.1%) compared with the groups who received LOCM (2.0 and 2.5%). CONCLUSION: The bolus injection of warmed ionic contrast medium at a rate of 1-2.5 ml/s causes no significant increase in nausea compared with similar infusion rates of nonionic agents. For CT protocols that require infusion rates of 4-5 ml/s, the use of a nonionic agent is associated with a significantly reduced prevalence of nausea. The prevalence of anaphylactoid reactions is not affected by the rate of injection.