Cardioangiography and the hemodynamic effects of iodixanol.

Patient safety should be in focus when using contrast media (CM) in diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures. Side-effects that occur during cardioangiography due to hemodynamic effects of CM include direct effects on the heart, effects on the systemic and pulmonary circulation, and effects on the blood volume. Although not a totally inert solution, iodixanol (Visipaque) has less pronounced direct inotropic effects on the heart than have other CM; its vasodilatory effects on peripheral arteries are smaller, and the increase in blood volume is smaller after administering iodixanol than after other CM. Thus, iodixanol represents a further step forward in terms of reducing side-effects during contrast-enhanced diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures.