In patients with suspected stroke, contrast allergies present a significant dilemma, as contrast-enhanced imaging is often used to guide treatment decisions.

Although GBCAs are largely considered safe, there are concerns about how gadolinium retention could affect patients who require repeated imaging.

A new analysis in Academic Radiology dives into the importance of finding balance between reducing radiation exposure while maintaining image quality. 

The system can be set up in as little as two minutes and needs just 20 seconds to prime in between patients. 

Since the onset of the iodinated contrast shortage in 2022, countless tactics have been deployed to optimize use of the imaging agent, but many have been overlooked.

During an initial three-month intervention period, one health system estimates that its saved nearly 750,000 mL of contrast. Now, experts from the organization are sharing whether those changes stuck after the shortage ended.

The protocol integrates CT angiography of the head and neck with the tomography perfusion acquisition, eliminating the need for two separate scans.

While most safety considerations associated with contrast injections, like hypersensitivity reactions and extravasation, rarely become reality, pain at the injection site is much more common.