Immunology and allergy clinics of North America
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Immunol Allergy Clin North Am · Aug 2009
ReviewImmediate and delayed reactions to radiocontrast media: is there an allergic mechanism?
Radiocontrast media can cause immediate (1 hour) and nonimmediate (>1 hour) hypersensitivity reactions that remain unpredictable and a cause of concern for radiologists and cardiologists. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions resemble anaphylaxis, whereas nonimmediate ones clinically are predominated by exanthemas. ⋯ It may have an important role in the selection of a safe product in previous reactors, although validation data are still lacking. In vitro tests to search for contrast media-specific cell activation are currently under investigation.