title: Evaluation of individually body weight adapted contrast media injection in coronary CT-angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Contrast media (CM) injection protocols should be customized to the individual patient. Aim of this study was to determine if software tailored CM injections result in diagnostic enhancement of the coronary arteries in computed tomography angiography (CTA) and if attenuation values were comparable between different weight categories.
  
  
  METHODS
  265 consecutive patients referred for routine coronary CTA were scanned on a 2nd generation dual-source CT. Group 1 (n=141) received an individual CM bolus based on weight categories (39-59 kg; 60-74 kg; 75-94 kg; 95-109 kg) and scan duration ('high-pitch: 1s; "dual-step prospective triggering": 7s), as determined by contrast injection software (Certegra™ P3T, Bayer, Berlin, Germany). Group 2 (n=124) received a standard fixed CM bolus; Iopromide 300 mgI/ml; volume: 75 ml; flow rate: 7.2 ml/s. Contrast enhancement was measured in all proximal and distal coronary segments. Subjective and objective image quality was evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (IBM, version 20.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For group 1, mean attenuation values of all segments were diagnostic (>325 HU) without statistical significant differences between different weight categories (p>0.17), proximal vs. distal: 449 ± 65-373 ± 58 HU (39-59 kg); 443 ± 69-367 ± 81 HU (60-74 kg); 427 ± 59-370 ± 61 HU (75-94 kg); 427 ± 73-347 ± 61 HU (95-109 kg). Mean CM volumes were: 55 ± 6 ml (39-59 kg); 61 ± 7 ml (60-74 kg); 71 ± 8 ml (75-94 kg); 84 ± 9 ml (95-109 kg). For group 2, mean attenuation values were not all diagnostic with differences between weight categories (p<0.01), proximal vs. distal: 611 ± 142-408 ± 69 HU (39-59 kg); 562 ± 135-389 ± 98 HU (60-74 kg); 481 ± 83-329 ± 81 HU (75-94 kg); 420 ± 73-305 ± 35 HU (95-109 kg). Comparable image noise and image quality were found between groups (p ≥ 0.330).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individually tailored CM injection protocols yield diagnostic attenuation and a more homogeneous enhancement pattern between different weight groups. CM volumes could be reduced for the majority of patients utilizing individualized CM bolus application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: caspermihl@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Casper
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mihl
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.affiliation: CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altintas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bas L J H
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kietselaer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turek
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wildberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D001835:Body Weight; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D012984:Software; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide
keywords: Body weight; Cardiac imaging technique; Computed tomography; Contrast media; Diagnostic imaging