Clinical trial of Iohexol vs. Conray 60 for cerebral angiography.

Iohexol, a new nonionic contrast agent, and Conray 60 were compared in a double-blind clinical trial of 60 patients for safety, imaging effectiveness, and patient discomfort in cerebral angiography. There was no significant difference between the two agents in physiologic changes, film quality, or incidence of adverse effects in the 60 patients. One patient in the iohexol group suffered a cardiac arrest, which was clinically due to septic shock and was probably the result of inadvertent contamination of the iohexol used for test injections in this case. Bacterial growth can be supported in iohexol under certain circumstances, due to the lack of preservatives in this contrast material. The patients in the iohexol group experienced significantly less discomfort than the Conray 60 group. Iohexol is a safe, effective contrast agent when handled properly and causes less discomfort to patients than Conray 60.