The Kinked Wire

Episode 32: How interventional radiologists can mitigate the contrast media shortage

Warren Krackov, MD, FSIR | Society of Interventional Radiology Season 3 Episode 32

"We were no longer using iodinated contrast for nonemergent cases. We started using a lot of gadolinium, air, CO2, IVUS, Gastrografin, Cystografin—pretty much everything you could think of besides iodinated contrast. Because you need to save it for those emergent cases and the stroke. You know—stroke comes in, you can't just not have contrast to treat it." —Nikki Keefe, MD

In May 2022, Nikki Keefe, MD, Kush Desai, MD, FSIR, Maureen P. Kohi, MD, FSIR, and Gloria M. Salazar, MD, FSIR, published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) a paper on mitigating the contrast media shortage. In this episode, host Warren Krackov, MD, FSIR, speaks Drs. Keefe and Salazar about what led to the shortage, alternative solutions to contrast media and more.

Related resources:

  • Read "Mitigation Strategies for Interventional Radiology During a Global Contrast Media Shortage," by Keefe et al. (Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, published online: May 19, 2022) 
  • Listen to the audio version of the article
  • Read the related press release


Note: This episode was recorded on  May 26, 2022.

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