Clinical comparison of three contrast agents used in cerebral angiography.

A total of 139 cerebral angiograms were performed on patients assigned randomly to three groups. The contrast agents used for these groups included meglumine calcium metrizoate, meglumine diatrizoate and meglumine sodium diatrizoate. Pulse rate and blood pressure readings were taken preceding and following injections and pain and heat sensations were graded. There were no significant differences in incidence of nausea or in changes of blood pressure or pulse rate, or in severity of heat sensations. There was a lower incidence of severe injection pain with meglumine calcium metrizoate than with meglumine sodium diatrizoate.