Gadolinium Offers Positive Results for Kidney Patients

A recent study published in the journal of Radiology offers insight for the patients suffering from painful, rare and debilitating condition called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF).

A study, conducted by the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, discovered that the kidney patients who are at an increased risk of developing NSF while receiving gadolinium contrast dyes from magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) / magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures may have few chances of developing this condition after undergoing hemodialysis.

When hemodialysis was administered to the patients suffering from kidney failure immediately after gadolinium exposure, there chances of developing NSF symptoms delays for more than three days. According to a study, patients who receive gadolinium contrast dyes during MRA / MRI procedures were “10 times more likely to develop NSF than patient who had not been exposed to such agents.”

Developing NSF

According to an article published in the American Journal of Roentgenoloy, Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, is a rare multisystemic fibrosing disorder affecting the skin of infected patients, however, it also affects the organs of patients suffering from renal insufficiencies.

NSF is usually linked with the patients suffering from acute renal failure and chronic kidney disease who have or are receiving gadolinium based contrast dyes or agents during a MRA/ MRI, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

The first patient or case of NSF came to light in the year 1997, and was considered rather newly developed and rare condition. According to the International Center for Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy Research (ICNFDR), until the year 2006, NSF was an unknown condition but in 2006 more patients started to complain about the symptoms of NSF after receiving contrast agents or dyes. NSF side effects can be severely disabling to the patients who have been diagnosed with this condition. Some of the side effects include the following:

fluctuating hypertension

skin lesions

calcifications of soft tissue

severe pain or burning in skin

darkened or redden patches of skin

joint stiffening

skin thickening

plaques or yellow papules on or near eyes

woody or orange texture on the surface of skin

deep bone pain

muscle weakness

painful/itchy skin

Available Treatment of NSF

While there are currently no known consistently successful NSF treatments but there are several treatments that can be helpful to ease the severe disabling symptoms of NSF. Following are some of these treatments:

Renal transplantation.

Pentoxifylline (PXF) is an oral medication that improves the circulation of red blood cells and their flexibility.

Physical therapy for the patients including deep massage.

Treatments of Thalidomide

Plasmapheresis, patients undergoing kidney or liver transplants

According to the ICNFDR, doctors prescribe Topical Dovonex, a combination of occluded clobetasol and Dovonex, to put on the outside of infected skin and can be sued with vascular compression stockings.

Intravenous therapy: in this therapy, high doses of medications are given to the patients

Ultraviolet therapy

Receiving Cytoxan medications.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), a treatment that softens the plaques following a long term therapy.

Oral steroids like prednisone but often, these medications are linked with the early onset of osteoporosis and gastrointestinal ulceration.

As NSF is such painful, rare and debilitating condition, it becomes essential for an individual to seek the advice of lawyer immediately. Contacting an experienced and knowledgeable Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis attorney will help you in filing a medical lawsuit so that you may receive some monetary compensation for the damages, pain and sufferings, medical expenses and lost wages incurred by an individual suffering from NSF. The NSF treatments often have no positive result for the patients and undergoing constant NSF treatment may be very costly not only monetarily but also physically. For more details on this, contact a Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis law firm and start taking correct measures to change the fate of this severe condition.