SIRM-SIAARTI CONSENSUS DOCUMENT ON CONTRAST MEDIA   

Journal of Radiological Review 2020 March-April;7(2):77-84

DOI: 10.23736/S2723-9284.20.00015-2

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Management of acute adverse reactions by contrast medium

Antonio ORLACCHIO ¹ ✉, Matteo PASSAMONTI ², Silvia ROMA ¹, Fulvio GASPARRINI ¹, Emiliano CINGOLANI ³, Flavia PETRINI ⁴

¹ Department of Emergency Radiology, Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy; ² Unit of Diagnostic Senology (Breast Unit), ASST Lodi, Lodi, Italy; ³ Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy; ⁴ Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, SS. Annunziata Hospital, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy

The use of contrast medium (CM) in diagnostic imaging is mandatory for diagnosis, characterization, staging, control during and after therapies and in the follow-up of patients affected by various diseases. Contrast agents are atypical drugs, with no therapeutic effects, used for diagnosis, administered in large doses, often at high speed in the bloodstream. Like all drugs, there are also rarely serious adverse reactions due to contrast medium. The Radiologist has the responsibility of choosing the contrast medium that best suits the specific clinical needs, and how administrate it. Radiologist must insert in the report what he did and the description of adverse event due to CM. The Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM), through its study section on contrast agents, has realized a consensus document together with the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) on the management of acute adverse reactions due to contrast agents. The document deals of the various aspects related to the patient’s risk conditions, the type of adverse reactions and how to treat them. Moreover, the document indicates the medical instruments, drugs and the operating procedures necessary to guarantee the safety of the patient and of the health personnel. The methods of training health personnel involved in the management of emergencies due to administration of the contrast agent are also illustrated. The aim of this work is to spread the knowledge of the document SIRM-SIAARTI for the management of emergencies from contrast medium, illustrating the main topics.

KEY WORDS: Contrast media; Diagnostic imaging; Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions