[Clinical study of the tolerance for 2 iodine containing contrast media for computerized tomography of the skull]

Clinical tolerance of two iodine contrast media (Na-methylglucamine-diatrizoate and Na-ioxitalamate) was tested in 1,628 patients requiring enhancing during computed tomography. Na-methylglucamine-diatrizoate was administered to 53.1% and the rest received Na-ioxitalamate. Infusion time was 4-6 min and the administered contrast quantity was 250 ml. Contrast medium injection was withheld from patients with known severe allergic disease, but in cases with known mild allergic reactions the contrast medium was given only after prophylactic administration of cortisone. Na-ioxitalamate was extremely well tolerated, causing only 0.11% (one patient) adverse effects, whereas in the case of Na-methylglucamine-diatrizoate a total of 42 side reactions were observed in 2.87% (22) of the patients. These reactions chiefly consisted of nausea and vomiting, which disrupted the CT examination and may endanger patients because of possible lung aspiration. Good tolerance of ioxitalamate seems mainly due to the chemical configuration of the organic iodine compound and the sodium salt of the contrast medium. The slow infusion time of 4-6 min - which is desirable in CT examination - contributes further to the good tolerance of ioxitalamate when different infusion times for this contrast medium are compared. The differing amount of iodine in the two contrast media and their different toxicity for the blood-brain barrier did not influence their enhancing quality, nor did these two factors modify relevant aspects for the diagnosis of intracranial lesions.