title: Anaphylactoid reactions to radiocontrast media.
abstract: As the role for diagnostic and therapeutic contrast-enhanced imaging increases, review of the epidemiology, mechanisms, risk factors, and pretreatment for radiocontrast-mediated anaphylactoid reactions becomes more and more pertinent. Ongoing research has failed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of both early and late reactions, though the current data point to a multifactorial pathogenesis. The risk of reactions has decreased over time as contrast media have evolved from ionic, high-osmolality to nonionic, low-osmolality formulations; however, the expense of the low-osmolality agents limit their universal use. Today, 1-12% of patients exhibit adverse responses ranging from mild to severe, with individual risk depending on the type of contrast administered and certain baseline patient characteristics. For those high-risk patients who must receive contrast, effective pretreatment guidelines have been established.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Tosteson Medical Education Center, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Canter
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D011292:Premedication
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media