Analysis of the Safety of Single-Center Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Pediatric Patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Imaging
• Medical Ultrasound
• Radiology

Background:

• Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) offers a radiation-free alternative for pediatric imaging.
• Sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles are a common contrast agent used in CEUS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the safety and adverse event profile of sulfur hexafluoride microbubble CEUS in a pediatric population.
• To evaluate the incidence and nature of adverse events associated with CEUS in children.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 447 pediatric patients undergoing CEUS.
• Utilized weight-based dosing of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles (SonoVue) at ≤ 0.03 mL/kg.
• Monitored patients for adverse events during and after the procedure.

Main Results:

• An overall adverse event incidence of 1.6% (7/447) was observed.
• All reported events (nausea, vomiting, cough, headache, rash, transient hypertension) were mild and transient.
• No serious adverse events, such as anaphylactic shock or laryngeal edema, occurred.
• No significant safety differences were noted across gender or age groups.

Conclusions:

• Sulfur hexafluoride microbubble CEUS demonstrates a highly favorable safety profile in pediatric patients.
• CEUS is a valuable, radiation-free imaging tool for pediatric diagnostics when performed with standardized procedures and monitoring.