CAMRT Contrast Media: Properties,
Interactions, Administration, Venipuncture
Exam Questions and Answers with Verified
Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
iodinated CM can be divided into... ionic and non-ionic
iodinated IONIC CM gastrograffin
diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate
solution
all contrat media is iodinated BARIUM
except.... it is barium sulfate. it is a metal and does
NOT
dissolve, therefore it is suspended in
solution (MIX
IT UP WELL!)
,is gastrograffin HOCM? yes
It contains diatrizoate meglumine and
diatrizoate
sodium, which are ionic water-soluble
iodinated
compounds.
Its osmolality is much higher than blood
plasma
(can be >1900 mOsm/kg vs. plasma ~290
mOsm/kg).
HYPAQUE, UROGRAFIN are also ionic
and HOCM
Iodinated NON-ionic CM Iohexol (omnipaque), Iopamidol (isovue)
examples.... (3) <-- LOCM
(much safer
Iodixanol (Visipaque) <--IOCM (safest but
expensive)
how is water used as a contrast improved distention, effective visualization
media? of
bowel wall and mucosa, can be mixed with
some
CM so CM is not as dense and
obstructing. It is a
"neutral contrast"
, Osmolaltity compared to blood for High-osmolality contrast media (HOCM) =
IOCM, HOCM, LOCM 4-7x
osmolality of blood
Higher risk of rxn
Attracts more water, increasing fluid
pressure and
decreasing extravascular fluid
Isotonic (IOCM) = same # particles as
blood
Closer the osmolality to blood, the lower
the
reaction rate
Reduces risk of renal impairment
Low-osmolality contrast media (LOCM) =
2-3x
osmolality of blood
Lower risk of rxn
Less fluid shift (fluid shift - anytime you
add
something to bloodstream, surrounding
areas are
affected so you want to minimize the
amount of
water pulled into blood vessels)
Interactions, Administration, Venipuncture
Exam Questions and Answers with Verified
Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
iodinated CM can be divided into... ionic and non-ionic
iodinated IONIC CM gastrograffin
diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate
solution
all contrat media is iodinated BARIUM
except.... it is barium sulfate. it is a metal and does
NOT
dissolve, therefore it is suspended in
solution (MIX
IT UP WELL!)
,is gastrograffin HOCM? yes
It contains diatrizoate meglumine and
diatrizoate
sodium, which are ionic water-soluble
iodinated
compounds.
Its osmolality is much higher than blood
plasma
(can be >1900 mOsm/kg vs. plasma ~290
mOsm/kg).
HYPAQUE, UROGRAFIN are also ionic
and HOCM
Iodinated NON-ionic CM Iohexol (omnipaque), Iopamidol (isovue)
examples.... (3) <-- LOCM
(much safer
Iodixanol (Visipaque) <--IOCM (safest but
expensive)
how is water used as a contrast improved distention, effective visualization
media? of
bowel wall and mucosa, can be mixed with
some
CM so CM is not as dense and
obstructing. It is a
"neutral contrast"
, Osmolaltity compared to blood for High-osmolality contrast media (HOCM) =
IOCM, HOCM, LOCM 4-7x
osmolality of blood
Higher risk of rxn
Attracts more water, increasing fluid
pressure and
decreasing extravascular fluid
Isotonic (IOCM) = same # particles as
blood
Closer the osmolality to blood, the lower
the
reaction rate
Reduces risk of renal impairment
Low-osmolality contrast media (LOCM) =
2-3x
osmolality of blood
Lower risk of rxn
Less fluid shift (fluid shift - anytime you
add
something to bloodstream, surrounding
areas are
affected so you want to minimize the
amount of
water pulled into blood vessels)
