Cardiovascular effects of intravenous gadolinium administration to anaesthetized dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure following intravenous (IV) gadolinium-based contrast media administration to sevoflurane-anaesthetized dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective clinical study.

ANIMALS

Fifty client-owned dogs (31 male, 19 female; aged 6-156 months; weighing 4.2-45.4 kg; ASA 2-3).

METHODS

Heart rate and oscillometric blood pressures (systolic, mean and diastolic) were recorded at 10 minutes, 5 minutes and immediately pre-administration of IV gadolinium contrast medium (time 0), then at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 minutes post-gadolinium administration. Repeated measures anova was used to compare cardiovascular variables pre and post-gadolinium administration. Significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

There were no significant changes in cardiovascular variables following the IV administration of gadolinium.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Administration IV of gadolinium-based contrast media was not associated with adverse cardiovascular effects in these sevoflurane-anaesthetized dogs undergoing MRI.