MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful technology that can be used to produce incredibly accurate pictures of the inside of the human body. But according to some researchers, what you don’t see could kill you.
That’s because MRI’s use contrast agents, drugs administered by radiologists that once inside the body, dramatically improve the visibility of the patient’s internal body structure.
It is undeniable that MRI, and the use of contrast agents have dramatically improved doctor’s ability to diagnose all kinds of illnesses from cancer to a broken hip. But in recent years there have been reports that the contrast agents, thought to be benign may in fact bring some very dangerous side effects.
In May of 2007, a previously undisclosed FDA Report: "Undeniable" Association between Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents and NSF, found that certain contrast agents containing gadolinium had been linked to a fatal disease called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)
The report by the FDA's Dr. Melanie Blank, a kidney specialist, concluded that an "undeniable and strong association" existed between contrast agents containing gadolinium and NSF.
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) is a potentially fatal disease that is characterized by painful swelling and thickening of the skin. There is no known cure or definitive cause for NSF, though it appears to affect only MRI patients who have kidney problems.
This alleged link has caused a lot of headaches for GE maker of a contrast agent know as
Omniscan. Similar drugs made by Bayer and others have also been tied to NSF.
As you might imagine these cases have caught the eye of regulators. In May of 2007, the FDA asked manufacturers to include a new boxed warning on the product labeling of all gadolinium-based contrast agents which are used to enhance the quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The FDA’s notice is here.
According to Jeff Gerth over at ProPublica:
People with NSF, or relatives of those who have died, have filed more than 400 lawsuits in U.S. federal courts against GE, Bayer and two other makers of similar drugs in the past several years. About 100 cases don’t concern Omniscan. Of the roughly 300 that do involve the GE drug, about 70 percent relate exclusively to Omniscan, according to court records and lawyers on both sides.
If you think you or someone you know is suffering from side effects associated with a contrast agent, or related to your MRI, please contact us, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.