title: Safety of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in dogs and cats: 488 cases (2002-2011).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of adverse events within 24 hours after contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in dogs and cats and compare the risk of death within 24 hours after imaging for animals that underwent ultrasonography with and without injection of a contrast agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  750 animals (411 case dogs, 238 control dogs, 77 case cats, and 24 control cats).
  
  
  METHODS
  At 11 institutions, medical records were reviewed of dogs and cats that had CEUS performed (cases) as were medical records of dogs and cats with clinical signs similar to those of case animals that had ultrasonography performed without injection of a contrast agent (controls). Information regarding signalment; preexisting disease; type, dose, and administration route of contrast agent used; immediate (within 1 hour after CEUS) and delayed (> 1 and ≤ 24 hours after CEUS) adverse events; and occurrence and cause of death (when available) was extracted from each medical record. Risk of death within 24 hours after ultrasonography was compared between case and control animals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 411 case dogs, 3 had immediate adverse events (vomiting or syncope) and 1 had a delayed adverse event (vomiting). No adverse events were recorded for case cats. Twenty-three of 357 (6.4%) clinically ill case animals and 14 of 262 (5.3%) clinically ill control animals died within 24 hours after ultrasonography; risk of death did not differ between cases and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicated that CEUS was safe in dogs and cats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. gsseiler@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Gabriela S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reetz
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taeymans
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bucknoff
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohlerth
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rademacher
authors.forename: Wm Tod
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Drost
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Travetti
authors.forename: Pascaline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pey
authors.forename: Jimmy H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Miriam M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shanaman
authors.forename: Cintia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Lorrie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaschen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002415:Cats; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004285:Dogs; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media