CONTRAST AGENTS IN PERIPHERAL ANGIOGRAPHY - DOES COST REDUCTION INVOLVE LOSS IN QUALITY AND SAFETY - REEVALUATION BASED ON A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF IOXAGLATE VS IOPROMIDE

Purpose: To evaluate whether meglumine-sodium-ioxaglate (Hexabrix) and iopromide (Ultravist) are identically appropriate for peripheral angi ography. Outcome variables were pain, image quality and adverse events . Methods: Sixty patients were included in a randomised double-blind s tudy. In all patients an intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (i.a. DSA) of iliac and peripheral arteries was performed. Results: A nalysis of the study revealed no significant difference between both c ontrast media in terms of the main and additional outcome variables. I n comparison to iopromide, ioxaglate caused milder pain sensations (VA S 4.70 vs. 7.76, p = 0.25). Mild adverse events were observed more fre quently in ioxaglate angiography (11% vs. 0 %, p = 0.1). Conclusion: B oth contrast media seem to be appropriate for peripheral angiography u sing DSA technique. Ioxaglate causes a cost reduction of about 20-35 % . However, an increase of mild adverse reactions up to 11 % to 15 % ha s to be accepted.