title: Pathophysiology of Immediate Reactions to Injectable Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to review the classification of adverse drug reactions, highlight the known pathophysiology of immediate hypersensitivity reactions, and discuss the utility of diagnostic testing for immunologically mediated immediate reactions to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Current literature on immediate reactions to GBCA was reviewed and summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adverse drug reactions to GBCA are rare, and can be attributed to physiologic, immunologic, and nonimmunologic processes. When immunologic reaction is suspected, particularly in the case of severe reactions, skin testing may be useful to confirm allergy and identify alternative agents for subsequent studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As GBCAs are widely used for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease, the incidence of adverse drug reactions to GBCA warrants ongoing development of approaches to diagnosis and avoidance of these adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Banner-University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, AZ.
authors.forename: Tara F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium