A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF RADIOPHARMACEUTICA L-INDUCED SIDE-EFFECTS

In France, radiopharmaceuticals have been considered as drugs since 19 92. Few adverse reactions with radiopharmaceuticals were described in the literature. Some authors have reported a rate of 1 to 6 reactions per 100 000 injections. The purpose of the present study was to evalua te the prevalence of radiopharmaceutical-induced side effects. A prosp ective survey was performed from November 1993 to May 1995 (during 18 months) in the Department of nuclear Medicine of the University Hospit al in Toulouse. There were 14 794 injections of radiopharmaceuticals ( Tc-99m-phytate, Tc-99m-microspheres of serum albumin, Tc-99m-dimercapt o-succinic acid (DMSA), Tc-99m-hydroxymethyldiphosphonate (HMDP), Tc-9 9m-colloid, Tc-99m, Tc-99m-sestamibi,Thallium-201). Three side effects were reported : one case of necrosis at the injection site, one case of vomiting and one case of dizziness. All the cases occurred with Tc- 99m-pyrophosphate. According to the WHO definition, the first side eff ect was classified as 'serious'. The causal relationship was unlikely for the first and second case and probable for the third. The outcome of these side effects was always favourable.