Gadolinium

Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

Gadolinium Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)

Gadolinium NSF is a rare, but serious condition caused by the exposure to the Gadolinium contrast material sometimes used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). An MRI is a type of scanner imaging tool that is used to see inside the body, especially the organs and tissues to aid in the diagnosis of certain illnesses or conditions. This machine enables the technicians to see what could not otherwise be seen in a normal x-ray. The scanner does not use radiation to form its images the way x-rays and CT scanners do. The process involves the use of a powerful magnetic field in the scanner that pulls into alignment specifically targeted hydrogen atoms that are inside every water molecule in the human body.

A radio frequency field is then used to alter this alignment in the hydrogen atoms causing them to rotate. The scanner is able to detect this rotating magnetic field and construct an image with it, using a contrast dye material that will collect especially in certain types of tumors or growths to make the image easier to see. Many MRI scanners use Gadolinium contrast material in the imaging process. Gadolinium is a chemical element, a rare earth metal that is silvery, white in appearance. The metal has paramagnetic properties, meaning that it is only magnetic in the presence of a magnetic field. That is why this material is favored for use in the intravenous contrast material for MRIs.

In patients with slightly impaired kidneys, Gadolinium contrast dye is safer than other contrast materials, because it is less likely to cause a serious allergic reaction. However, in patients with severe kidney failure or a renal filtration rate of under 60, Gadolinium is entirely too toxic of a material and is considered contraindicated. The already weakened kidneys cannot handle the task of flushing this metal out of the body and a connective tissue disease known as systemic sclerosis sets in. This disease is characterized by a thickening, hardening or scarring in certain tissues or areas of the body. It has been known to affect the skin, eyes, joints and internal organs. It also creates a thick mucin in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe efficiently.

This is the bodies reaction to a rather violent attempt at healing from the toxic poisoning that it received from the Gadolinium. Part of the disease process includes the overproduction of proteins and if the condition begins to affect the kidneys, death may be the eventual prognosis. Treatments involve delaying the progress of the disease, attempts to improve pain and discourage ulcerations. Gadolinium contrast agents that have been implicated in the cause of NSF are Omniscan, Multihance, OptiMARK and Magnevist. In May of 2007, the Food and Drug Administration demanded that a stricter black box warning be included with the drug's packaging.

If you or someone you care about was given an injection of Gadolinium contrast agentprior to an MRI and is now suffering from NSF, please contact the attorneys associated with Napoli Bern Ripka Law Firm. You may be eligible for compensation.

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