Gadolinium might be an alternative, stop-gap solution for interventional procedures during the current iodine contrast shortage.

Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Virginia and vice chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors, explains the contrast shortage situation and the tough decisions providers are being forced to make.

Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Virginia, vice chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors, and chairman of the ACR Commission on Interventional and Cardiovascular Radiology, explains that the iodine contrast shortage has led to use of MRI gadolinium contrast agents in some cases.

Kirk Garratt, MD, medical director of the Center for Heart and Vascular Health, ChristianaCare, and a past president of SCAI, explains what this shortage means for interventional cardiologists.

“We need to commit to changing the supply chain so that a single event in a faraway country does not put us in this predicament again," experts wrote in a new special report shared by Radiology.

The COVID lockdowns at the Shanghai plant began on March 31, and although the plant there has since resumed operations, they are not yet at 100% capacity.

With the shortage, which pertains specifically to all formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol), expected to last until mid-June, several organizations have alluded that conservation efforts are of critical importance.

All formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol) are expected to be in short supply until mid-June due to COVID lockdowns where the contrast is manufactured.