Non-ionic contrast material in pediatric ct scans: A statistical analysis of mild allergic reactions.

Abstract

Objective: To assess allergic reactions to IV non-ionic contrast media in children. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Faisal Hospital, Faisalabad, and Children Hospital, Faisalabad. Period: June 2022 to September 2022. Material & Methods: A total of 310 patients (males and females) under the age of 14, referred for a CT scan with non-ionic contrast material were included in the study, Data were collected at the Children’s Hospital and the Faisal Hospital Faisalabad for over 4 months and statistically analyzed by SPSS V22. The Chi-square test was used to measure the association between the age of children and mild allergy reactions. Results: This study included 310 patients, 183 (59%) males, and 127 (41%) females, who received the non-ionic contrast agent. Thirteen patients (6 males and 7 females) experienced mild allergic responses including 5 cases of rash, 3 cases of itching, 2 cases of nausea, and 1 case of vomiting, flushing, and swelling. There were 10 reactions for children under five, 1 for children between five to ten years, and 2 for children older than ten years. Out of 13 reported allergic reactions, the brain region observed seven while the chest, head, and neck regions observed none. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, imaging young children with low-osmolality non-ionic contrast material is relatively safe and has few side effects. Out of 310, only 13 children experienced mild allergic responses to non-ionic contrast material. This study found an association between the age of children (<5 years) and mild allergic reactions (skin rash and itching) which was found to be statistically significant (p=0.005).