title: Effects of two types of medical contrast media on routine chemistry results by three automated chemistry analyzers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of iodinated contrast media has grown in popularity in the past two decades, but relatively little attention has been paid to the possible interferential effects of contrast media on laboratory test results. Herein, we investigate medical contrast media interference with routine chemistry results obtained by three automated chemistry analyzers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten levels of pooled serum were used in the study. Two types of medical contrast media [Iopamiro (iopamidol) and Omnipaque (iohexol)] were evaluated. To evaluate the dose-dependent effects of the contrast media, iopamidol and iohexol were spiked separately into aliquots of serum for final concentrations of 1.8%, 3.6%, 5.5%, 7.3%, and 9.1%. The 28 analytes included in the routine chemistry panel were measured by using Hitachi 7600, AU5800, and Cobas c702 analyzers. We calculated the delta percentage difference (DPD) between the samples and the control, and examined dose-dependent trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When the mean DPD values were compared with the reference cut-off criteria, the only uniformly interferential effect observed for all analyzers was in total protein with iopamidol. Two additional analytes that showed trends toward interferential effects only in few analyzers and exceeded the limits of the allowable error were the serum iron and the total CO2. The other combinations of analyzer and contrast showed no consistent dose-dependent propensity for change in any analyte level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that many of the analytes included in routine chemistry results, except total protein and serum iron, are not significantly affected by iopamidol and iohexol. These results suggest that it would be beneficial to apply a flexible medical evaluation process for patients requiring both laboratory tests and imaging studies, minimizing the need for strict regulations for sequential tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, Yonsei University Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, Yonsei University Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: John Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rim
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jisook
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: comforter6@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Sang-Guk
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D057205:Automation, Laboratory; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000737:chemistry*; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D003287:Contrast Media; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007472:Iohexol; D007501:Iron; D007479:Iopamidol
keywords: Contrast media; Interference; Routine chemistry