A study of adverse drug reactions to iodinated contrast agents in tertiary care teaching hospital

ABSTRACT

Background: Contrast agents have long been used for the imaging of anatomic boundaries and to explore normal and abnormal findings in X-ray based imaging technique. These agents are not completely devoid of risk. Adverse effects from administration of contrast media vary from minor physiological disturbance to rare life threatening situation.Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective observational study over one-year duration from 1st August 2015 to 31st July 2016 was conducted at radiology department of a Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Government Medical College and Teaching hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat. Adverse drug reactions were analyzed to study the nature of reactions caused by iodinated contrast agents. The temporal relationship of time of administration of contrast agents to the occurrence of adverse reaction was analyzed and classified as immediate or delayed type of reaction.Results: Out of 868 patients that were analysed 15 out of 497 male patients and 11 out of 371 female patients developed adverse reaction. Age range of patients that developed reactions was 20-55 years. Most common adverse drug reaction occurred in our study was nausea and vomiting which was treated by parenteral Ondansetron. All the reactions were found to be 憄robable� in causality as per WHO causality assessment scale and Naranjo抯 algorithm.Conclusions: Physicians performing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures with contrast agents must be aware of the risk, preventability & treatment so that reactions can be prevented. Sensitization of physicians is required to increase reporting of adverse drug reactions occurred due to radiocontrast agents.