Oral premedication in patients with a history suggesting hypersensitivity to iodinated contrast media

INTRODUCTION: Iodinated contrast media (ICM) are pharmaceuticals widely used in diagnostic procedures. Adverse effects associated with their administration are quite frequent and mostly mild. However, they raise concerns in patients and doctors in the context of their future use. AIM: To determine efficacy of premedication before medical procedures with the use of iodinated contrast media in patients with a history suggesting a hypersensitivity reaction after their past use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Out of 152 patients consulted due to adverse reactions after ICM (85 women and 67 men, aged 43–90), 101 were selected with the history suggesting a mild hypersensitivity reaction (urticaria, itching, skin redness, malaise etc.). All the patients had health problems requiring a procedure with ICMadministration in the near future. The premedication was given with cetirizine (10 mg) and prednisone (20 mg or 50 mg, randomly assigned) 13, 7 and 1 h before the ICM administration. Presence of adverse events was compared between the subgroups with χ(2) test and efficacy of premedication – with Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients underwent the radiologic procedure with premedication with antihistamine and a lower (40 patients) or higher dose (36 patients) of prednisone. Four of them reported a cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction (urticaria, itching, redness) and one – dyspnoea. There was no statistically significant difference in relation to the premedication protocol (p = 0.1306). CONCLUSIONS: Premedication with cetirizine and prednisone before radiologic procedures proved to be efficient in patients with a history suggesting hypersensitivity to iodinated contrast media. There was no significant difference in efficacy related to the dose of prednisone (20 mg vs. 50 mg).