What Are the Different Types of Contrast Media?
Contrast media, also known as medical contrast mediums and contrast agents, are chemical compounds and gases used to supplement medical imaging techniques by enhancing the image results during the medical testing processes. Contrast agents work in combination with either magnetic resonance signal augmentation or x-ray attenuation. Adverse effects related to contrast media are fairly uncommon, but can occur and vary in how they manifest and their severity.
Contrast media, also known as medical contrast mediums and contrast agents, are chemical compounds and gases used to supplement medical imaging techniques by enhancing the image results during the medical testing processes. Contrast agents work in combination with either magnetic resonance signal augmentation or x-ray attenuation. Adverse effects related to contrast media are fairly uncommon, but can occur and vary in how they manifest and their severity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) employs gadolinium, a rare metal, as a contrasting agent to produce high contrast images of soft tissue in the body. Used for cardiovascular, oncological, and neurological imaging, the MRI does not utilize radioactive materials such as high frequency gamma or x-rays. Administered intravenously, the oxidized metal works with existing hydrogenated atoms of water in the body, resulting in enhanced imaging results.
