Incidence of contrast medium extravasation for CT and MRI in a large academic medical centre: A report on 502,391 injections

• The study consisted of 502 391 injections for both CT & MRI, in which the sum of extravasations was 541.
• Patients undergoing CT studies are at higher risk of developing extravasation than MRI patients.
• MRI patients receiving automated power injections are at higher risk of developing CE.
• Females and inpatients are at a higher risk of extravasation for both CT and MRI.
• Patients above the age of 60 had the highest extravasation rates in both CT and MRI.

AimTo present the authors' experience of contrast medium extravasation (CME) during both CT and MRI examinations in a large academic medical centre.Materials and methodsThe present retrospective investigation was conducted between June 2008 and June 2013. The radiology data and medical records of patients in whom CME had occurred were reviewed.ResultsThe extravasation rate for CT and MRI was 0.11% (541/502 391); the % was 0.13% during CT and 0.06% during MRI. There was a statistically significant difference between females and males in the overall % (p = 0.0062), and the number of extravasations between CT and MRI (p < 0.0001). At MRI, the incidence of CME in patients >60 years was statistically significant when compared to the 18–60 year age group (p = 0.0072). Of 90 MRI patients with extravasation, CME occurred in 51 (0.048%, 51/105,578) patients from manual injections, and 39 (0.087%, 39/44,688) patients from automated injection with statistical significance (p = 0.0048). A statistical significance was found between females receiving automatic injections and males receiving manual injections (p = 0.0161). The majority of CME during CT and MRI occurred in the outpatient department [64.5% (291/451) and 64.4% (58/90), respectively], but the overall incidence of CME was highest in inpatients [0.29%, (160/54,664) in CT and 0.16% (32/20,048) in MRI].ConclusionPatients undergoing CT are at higher risk of developing CME than MRI patients. Females and inpatients were also were more likely to develop CME at both CT and MRI. At MRI CME is more likely in patients above the age of 60 years and for those receiving automated power injections.