Knowledge and experience of radiologists working in Istanbul on radiographic contrast medium anaphylaxis

Radiologists are among the physicians with the highest probability of encountering cases with anaphylaxis. Therefore, they should be familiar with the recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of the radiologists about the current diagnostic criteria and management of anaphylaxis in addition to their personal experiences on radiographic contrast medium (RCM) induced systemic reactions. Radiologists working in Istanbul were randomly selected and asked to fill out a 16-item questionnaire related to their experience on radiographic contrast medium anaphylaxis and knowledge about current anaphylaxis diagnosis and management guidelines. The study group consisted of 106 physicians 11 (10.4%) of whom have reported that they had encountered anaphylaxis due to radiographic contrast medium during their own practice. They have also reported two cases of mortality due to RCM. Most of the physicians were familiar with the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and about two thirds of them chose epinephrine as the first-line medication for treatment of anaphylaxis. Radiologists may encounter patients with RCM-induced anaphylaxis. Therefore they should be aware of the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis.