CARDIAC EFFECTS OF CORONARY ARTERIOGRAPHY WITH ELECTROLYTE ADDITION TO IOHEXOL - A STUDY IN DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT HEART-FAILURE

Electrolyte addition to nonionic contrast media has been suggested to further reduce the incidence of ventricular fibrillation during corona ry arteriography. The present study was designed to investigate the ef fects of adding 30 mM. NaCl, 0.9 mM KCl, 0.15 mM CaCl2 and 0.1 mM MgCl 2 to iohexol on cardiac electrophysiology and hemodynamics (iohexol electrolytes = IPE). Contrast media were injected into the left main c oronary artery in 9 open-chest, anesthetized dogs before and after ind uction of acute ischemic heart failure. IPE increased left ventricular inotropy (LV dP/dt(max)) with no initial decrease, even during heart failure. During heart failure IPE induced the same hemodynamic effects as iohexol without electrolyte addition. IPE slightly lengthened epic ardial monophasic action potential duration before heart failure. We c onclude that IPE appears to be well tolerated hemodynamically. The ele ctrophysiologic differences between IPE and iohexol are small when the injection time is not longer than 5 s.