Term Paper on "Dangers of Gadolinium"

Term Paper 4 pages (1110 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

NSF/NFD (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy) is very dangerous because it is a painful, debilitating, and sometimes deadly condition, with no cure, and no consistently successful treatment. "Once you have NSF/NFD it is almost impossible to get rid of, but it can be prevented. NSF/NFD is caused by gadolinium-based contrast agents used in MRI's (magnetic resonance imaging), and so far, has only been confirmed in people with kidney disease. The bottom line - if you have kidney disease or impaired renal function, avoid tests using gadolinium-based contrast agents if at all possible" (the Little-Known Debilitating and Deadly Danger of MRIs 2007). Therefore, people are becoming afflicted with an incurable, man-made disease that is related to a common medical procedure performed daily (Some Kidney Patients Suffer MRI Poisoning 2007).

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is an emerging systemic disorder characterized by widespread tissue fibrosis. It is known to occur only in patients with renal disease. Unfortunately, NSF may develop rapidly and can sometimes result in patients becoming confined to a wheelchair. Furthermore, the skin thickening can be confused clinically with peripheral edema.

Pathophysiologically, NSF results in increased tissue deposition of collagen, commonly resulting in thickening and hardening of the skin of the extremities and often culminating in immobility and contractures of the joints. In some patients, there is clinical involvement of other tissues (lung, skeletal muscle, heart, diaphragm, esophagus, etc.), although the patient may not be clinically symptomatic (3). While NSF sometimes stabilizes, it rarely spontaneously remits. No consistently effective therapy exists, although rapid correction in renal function (by medical or surgical means) generally results in a cessation of progression and often in a reversal of symptoms (Kuo, P., Kanal, E., Abu-Alfa, a., Cowper, S.). (Therefore, the symptoms are as follow, which could lead to death from a practice that is performed daily the Little-Known Debilitating and Deadly Danger of MRIs 2007).

Tightening and swelling of the skin, typically starting with the legs, moving to the arms, and sometimes the trunk

Thickening of the skin around the joints, restricting movement

Skin which feels "woody" and has a texture similar to that of an orange peel

Red or dark patches of skin

Burning, itching, and/or sharp pains in affected areas

Fluctuating hypertension preceding the appearance of skin lesions

Symmetrical skin lesions, commonly on the ankles and thighs and between the wrists and upper arms

Muscle weakness

Deep bone pain in the hips and ribs

Calcification of soft tissues

Yellow plaques near the eyes

Seventy-eight thousand three hundred fifty-three (65,009 adult and 13,344 pediatric) IV administrations of gadolinium-containing contrast material were performed during the study period. Acute allergic-like reactions were documented after 54 injections (reaction frequency, 0.07%). Forty-eight reactions involved adult patients (adult reaction frequency, 0.07%), and six reactions occurred in pediatric patients (pediatric reaction frequency, 0.04%). Forty (74%) acute allergic-like reactions were mild, 10 (19%) were moderate, and four (7%) were severe. No gadolinium-containing contrast material-related death occurred during the study period. Twenty-six (50%) of 52 patients had one or more presumed risk factors for contrast material reaction (Dillman, J., Ellis, J., Cohan, R., Strouse, P., Jan, S. 2007).

Patients with kidney disease have prolonged exposure to gadolinium in their tissues. Certain forms of gadolinium are bound by a linear chelate and have the potential to dissociate more readily, releasing the toxic ion. From there, all… READ MORE

How to Reference "Dangers of Gadolinium" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Dangers and Advantages of the American Population Adopting a Multicultural Perspective Essay

Dangers and Advantages

Explain the dangers and advantages of the American population adopting a multicultural perspective.

The possible dangers that will occur from America adopting multi-cultural perspectives are that basic… read more

Essay 2 pages (595 words) Sources: 2 Topic: Sociology / Society

---

Danger of Knowledge in Shelley's Frankenstein "Learn Essay

Danger of Knowledge in Shelley's Frankenstein

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how happier the… read more

Essay 4 pages (1187 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Biology / Life

---

Danger of Temptation in Macbeth Foils Work Essay

Danger of Temptation in Macbeth

Foils work in literature to bring attention to the diverse nature of man. While we all share the common denominator of being human, we also… read more

Essay 2 pages (601 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Dangers of Plastic Bottles Research Paper

(Kraemer 2010) However with the recent findings regarding the release of dangerous toxins from Pet bottles, particularly when heated, the World Health Organization may have to find alternative materials or… read more

Research Paper 4 pages (1370 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Disease / Virus / Disorder / Injury

---

Dangers of Cloning Life Is Precious Thesis

Dangers of Cloning

Life is precious. This is what proponents of human cloning fail to accept. While cloning holds promise in theory, the idea fails in practice -- almost every… read more

Thesis 8 pages (2445 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA Topic: Genetics / DNA / Genes / Heredity

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>