The Critical Shortage of Iodinated Contrast Material — Will Value Prevail?

Shortage of iodinated contrast media: Status and possible chances – A systematic review

“…1 ). The remaining 22 papers [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] ] served as basis for the following analysis, and contain a variety of different study types such as retrospective studies (n = 4), clinical perspectives (n = 3), special reports (n = 2), review articles (n = 5; including two narrative reviews), and others (n = 8). All articles are either published in the USA (n = 17) or in Australia (n = 5).…”

“…The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists as well as authors from Yale have published further guidance on how to preserve ICM [ 4 ]. Following the persisting shortage, more publications discussing this issue have been released [ [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] ].…”

Making Radiology Antifragile

“…However, the world is interdependent, and our economic fortunes are influenced by other countries. When the Chinese government closed production plants to achieve zero COVID-19, contrast’s supply chain was suddenly interrupted and panic ensued in US hospitals [ 4 ].…”

Optimizing the Use of Iodinated Contrast Media for CT: Managing Shortages and Planning for a Sustainable and Secure Supply

“…Iodinated contrast media (ICM) is used to enhance visualization of images in diagnostic imaging and interventional procedures in medicine, including trauma and stroke diagnosis in the emergency department, cancer diagnosis, staging and follow-up, cardiovascular and peripheral vascular interventions, gastrointestinal, urological, and interventional pain procedures. [1][2][3][4] Contrast-enhanced CT scans are the largest volume users of ICM. [5][6][7][8][9] The Canadian Medical Imaging Inventory (CMII) reports more than 5.4 million CT scans were conducted nationwide in 2019 -an increase of 31% over the previous decade.…”

“…• Using electronic medical records and ordering systems to provide alerts and ensure awareness of ICM shortages, flag potentially redundant imaging, and provide clinical decision-support tools to guide users to alternate imaging options. 2,5,35 ঐ Digital contrast media injection management systems may enable more consistent recording of all information on ICM type and dosage in patients' electronic medical records. This may allow more complete tracking of ICM usage and of any contrastrelated adverse events.…”