From: <surveys@acr.org>
To: ACR Members
Date: Thursday, November 02, 2006 06:39PM
Subject: GADOLINIUM CONTRAST ALERT
NSF/NFD Association Seen in Advanced Renal Patients Receiving Gadolinium
Dear Dr. ........,
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging physicians to exercise caution in the use of gadolinium-containing contrast agents, especially at high doses, in patients with advanced renal failure. After being alerted to an association between Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis/Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NSF/NFD) and a gadolinium-containing contrast agent, FDA has noted a similar association in the U.S. involving multiple manufacturers.
Having been alerted to thirty-nine cases of NSF/NFD among two institutions, ACR's Committee on Drugs and Contrast is collecting data from ACR members who may be seeing similar cases of NSF/NFD among their patients. ACR members are encouraged to talk with nephrologists, referring physicians, and others at your institution that may be treating these advanced-stage renal patients to assess any such associations within their institutions.
PLEASE NOTE - At those institutions reporting such cases, NSF/NFD was NOT known to the radiologists prior to consulting with and querying the nephrologists with whom they work, so it is crucial to speak with these clinicians before responding!
Any such cases (without identifying patient information) can be reported by clicking on the following link -
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?A=158018659E65761
ACR will report back to the membership at a later date as trends emerge in the data received.
Additional information on the gadolinium-NSF/NFD association can be found on the FDA's Web site at -
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/gcca/default.htm
Patients with poor renal function should be told of the potential risks; physicians referring at-risk patients should also be advised of the potential risk.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this notice and your response regarding cases at your institution. Should you have any questions about this message please contact Margaret Wyatt at mwyatt@acr.org
Sincerely,
The ACR Committee on Drugs & Contrast
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Department of Radiology
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State University of New York at Stony Brook
Health Sciences Center