Lessons learnt from the global iodinated contrast media shortage in head and neck imaging

Abstract

A recent shortage in the global supply of iodinated contrast media (ICM) has required health service providers to review their contrast administration policies and implement strategies to conserve inventory. This article will review the current best practices in head and neck imaging for a variety of common presentations and provide examples where alternative imaging can be considered due to the recent ICM shortage. Ultrasound and MRI techniques can feature heavily in many diagnostic processes in head and neck pathology, and a variety of common presentations can be appropriately investigated through clinical evaluation or naso-endoscopy. In many instances, for the routine assessment of non-acute adult and paediatric head and neck presentations, the use of contrast-enhanced CT can be safely minimised to conserve ICM if required.

How to prevent a repetition of the ‘not so global’ contrast media shortage of 2022?

“…We performed a Web of Science Core Collection search for the keywords ‘iodinated contrast media shortage’, and we found 14 scientific papers, 1,2,9–20 and 1 editorial, 21 all published in 2022. Almost all these papers were published by authors from the USA or Australia; the one exception was a paper with mixed authorship from Germany, Switzerland, and the USA 9 .…”