Experimental first-pass method for testing and comparing sorbent polymers used in the clearance of iodine contrast...

Sorbents have been shown to adsorb iodinated radiocontrast media.

In this study we describe a simple method to compare various sorbents in terms of capacity to adsorb radiocontrast media.

Iodixanol solution was injected into columns filled with three types of sorbent at filtration velocities of increasing magnitude. Two variables of interest - contrast removal rate and matched iodine retention (MIR) - were calculated to measure the adsorption efficiency and the mass of contrast iodine adsorbed versus sorbent used, respectively.

The highest contrast removal and MIR for Porapak Q, CST 401 and Amberlite XAD4 were 41, 38 and 16% (p = 0.22 and 0.0005 for comparisons between Porapak Q-CST 401 and CST 401-Amberlite XAD4) and 0.060, 0.055 and 0.024, respectively (p = 0.18 and 0.0008). Extrapolation to a clinical scenario may suggest that removal of 8 ml iodixanol could be achieved by masses of sorbents of 43, 47 and 107 g, respectively.

In this study we set a benchmark for comparing the radiocontrast-adsorbing efficiency of polymer sorbents during first-pass experiments, using a readily available methodology.