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11 December 2002
Embargoed until 00:00 GMT 16 December 2002
Patients' lives at risk from needless lung scans
It is commonplace for patients with Acute Lung Injury (ALI) to be injected
with a dye, known as contrast material, before undergoing a CT (computerized
tomography) scan of their lungs. Contrast material helps enhance the image so
that doctors can evaluate the state of a patient's lungs. New research published
in Critical Care shows that using
contrast material could worsen the condition of patients suffering from ALI
because it causes the lungs to fill up with fluid, making it more difficult for
patients to breathe.
ALI is a serious lung disorder characterized by the widespread destruction of
lung tissue resulting in a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. It is important
for doctors to examine the lungs of these patients to see how badly they are
injured. Computerized tomography is a commonly used procedure to examine the
lungs, as it gives the doctors a detailed view in a series of cross-sections or
"slices".
To get the clearest possible image, patients with ALI are routinely injected
with a dye, known as contrast material, before a CT scan. Contrast material
helps doctors identify damage to the lungs, however there is now speculation
that it may cause the accumulation of fluid in the lungs of patients with ALI,
making their condition worse.
In order to test this hypothesis, Jean-Jacques Rouby and his colleagues
investigated the effects of contrast material on the lungs of 14 patients with
ALI. The patients were separated in to two groups, the first were given a CT
scan both before and 30 seconds after injection with contrast material; the
second group were given a CT scan before and after 15 minutes. The volume of
lung tissue was measured from the CT scan of all patients.
The research team found that injecting contrast material increased lung
tissue volume in both sets of patients, with a larger increase observed after 15
minutes. The increase in lung tissue volume is attributed to an accumulation of
fluid in the lungs caused by the injection of contrast material. This suggests
that the injection of contrast material is making it harder for patients to
breathe leading the authors to conclude, "It seems prudent to avoid this
procedure in critically ill patients undergoing a thoracic CT scan."
The authors' decision to publish this research in an online open access
journal allows this important study to be read by the widest possible audience.
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This article can be viewed at: http://ccforum.com/info/media/CC1852.pdf
prior to publication.
Any articles published using the material featured in these articles should
reference Critical Care, a journal published by BioMed Central. To read
further press releases from Critical Care visit: http://ccforum.com/info/media/press.asp
Critical Care is a journal published by BioMed Central http://www.biomedcentral.com,
an independent online publishing house committed to providing immediate free
access to the peer-reviewed biological and medical research it publishes. This
commitment is based on the view that open access to research is essential to the
rapid and efficient communication of science. In addition to open-access
original research, BioMed Central also publishes reviews, abstracts and
subscription-based content.
Contact details:
Gordon Fletcher
Press Officer
BioMed Central
E-mail gordon@biomedcentral.com
Telephone +44 (0)20 7323 0323
Author's E-mail: Jean-Jacques Rouby jjrouby.pitie@invivo.edu
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