title: Effects of right- versus left-arm injections of contrast material on computed tomography of the head and neck.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the right- and left-arm injections of contrast material on image quality in computed tomography of the head and neck.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients were prospectively and randomly assigned into 2 groups. Eighty milliliters of contrast material (iodine concentration, 300 mg/mL) was administered into the right (n = 30) or the left (n = 30) antecubital vein at a 2-mL/s injection rate. The attenuation of the carotid artery (CA) and the internal jugular vein (IJV) was measured at 1.5-second intervals in each patient. The mean attenuation values for CA and IJV, the time to reach peak attenuation, the duration of diagnostic window (both CA and IJV enhancement were greater than 150 HU), the perivenous artifacts, and the retrograde flow of contrast material column from the subclavian or brachiocephalic vein were statistically compared between patients with right-arm injection and those with left-arm injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean attenuation values in CA and IJV were slightly higher in patients with right-arm injection than in those with left-arm injection, although no significant difference was reached (P = 0.06 for CA and 0.07 for IJV). The right-arm injection resulted in significantly reduced perivenous artifacts and retrograde flow of contrast material column. There were no significant differences in the time to reach the peak attenuation and in the duration of the diagnostic window between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The right-arm injection of contrast material may provide better image quality in the computed tomography of the head and neck when compared with the left-arm injection.
authors: Department of Radiology, Kangdong Seong-Sim Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Su Yeon
authors: SY
authors: You
authors: Dae Young
authors: DY
authors: Yoon
authors: Chul Soon
authors: CS
authors: Choi
authors: Suk Ki
authors: SK
authors: Chang
authors: Eun Joo
authors: EJ
authors: Yun
authors: Young Lan
authors: YL
authors: Seo
authors: Yu-Jin
authors: YJ
authors: Lee
authors: Jeung Hee
authors: JH
authors: Moon
mesh_terms: D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D016477:Artifacts; D016121:Brachiocephalic Veins; D002339:Carotid Arteries; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000379:methods; D007472:Iohexol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009333:Neck / Q000098:blood supply*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013350:Subclavian Vein; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol