Iopromide
Ultravist is a contrast agent in the form of a solution for injection, intended for use in X-ray diagnostics.
All contrast agents used in X-ray diagnostics, including Ultravist, contain iodine. X-rays do not pass through contrast agents because they are absorbed by iodine. Areas of the body where Ultravist accumulates after injection into the bloodstream or body cavities become visible during X-ray examination.
The drug is intended exclusively for diagnostic purposes.
Depending on the route of administration and the concentration of the Ultravist drug, an image of the veins and arteries is obtained, and changes in the urinary system, kidneys, brain, heart, chest, and body cavities are detected.
Before administering Ultravist, the doctor will warm it up to body temperature, as it is better tolerated and its viscosity is reduced, making it easier to inject.
Before administering the contrast agent Ultravist, medical personnel will inspect it, and if they notice discoloration, the presence of solid particles in the solution (including crystals), or damage to the container, they will not administer the agent. Ultravist is a high-concentration solution and, therefore, may rarely crystallize (milky turbid appearance and/or sediment at the bottom or floating crystals).
Due to the possibility of pharmaceutical incompatibilities of the contrast agent Ultravist, it must not be mixed with other medicines.
Before using the contrast agent Ultravist, the patient should inform their doctor if they feel anxious. States of excessive excitement and anxiety, as well as painful conditions, may increase the risk of side effects or enhance the severity of reactions to contrast agents (see "Possible side effects").
Ultravist should not be administered if the patient is dehydrated (has not taken sufficient fluids). To avoid this, the doctor will ensure that the patient has taken sufficient fluids before the examination (see "Warnings and precautions").
Before starting Ultravist, the patient should discuss the following with their doctor or nurse:
This is especially important for elderly patients, newborns, infants, and young children.
If any of the above conditions occur, the doctor will decide whether the examination can be performed.
The patient should inform their doctor if they have kidney problems. The doctor will ensure that the patient is well-hydrated before the examination. However, administering intravenous fluids is not recommended if the patient has kidney problems.
The patient should inform their doctor if they have severe kidney problems accompanied by heart disease. Administering intravenous fluids may be dangerous for the heart.
The doctor will not perform a test for hypersensitivity (administering a small dose of the contrast agent Ultravist), as the test does not provide reliable information about hypersensitivity and has sometimes been the cause of severe, even fatal, hypersensitivity reactions.
Particular caution should be exercised when using Ultravist:
severe skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), have been reported in association with Ultravist. If any of the symptoms described in section 4 occur, medical help should be sought immediately.
The patient should inform their doctor if they have had allergic reactions to the contrast agent Ultravist, its excipients, or any other contrast agent in the past. If the patient has had asthma or other allergic reactions, this may indicate an increased risk of an allergic reaction (including severe reactions).
Allergic reactions are characterized by symptoms from the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), respiratory system (lungs), and skin (skin reactions).
Reactions resembling allergies, with a severity ranging from mild to severe to shock, may occur (see "Possible side effects"). These reactions are difficult to predict and may occur irregularly. Most of these reactions occur within 30 minutes of administration, but sometimes delayed reactions (after several hours or days) may occur.
The patient should inform their doctor about taking beta-blockers (medicines used to treat high blood pressure), as they may affect the treatment with beta-adrenergic agonists (medicines used in case of shock).
After administering Ultravist, medical personnel will monitor the patient's condition, as there is a possibility of severe hypersensitivity reactions, and have a first-aid kit available.
Before the examination, the doctor may administer corticosteroids (medicines used, among other things, to treat inflammatory conditions), if they consider that there is a risk of an acute allergic reaction (e.g., if there has been a moderate or severe acute reaction in the past or if the patient has asthma or an allergy requiring treatment).
The patient should inform their doctor if they suspect or have been diagnosed with a goiter or hyperthyroidism, as there is a risk of hyperthyroidism and thyroid crisis after administration of iodine-containing contrast agents. In patients suspected of having hyperthyroidism, the doctor may consider performing thyroid function tests and/or preventive administration of medicines that inhibit thyroid function before administering Ultravist.
The patient should inform their doctor if they have had thyroid disease in the past, including hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), as the use of iodine-containing contrast agents may result in abnormal blood test results suggesting potential hypothyroidism or transient (temporary) worsening of thyroid function, which may require treatment.
Newborn babies may also be exposed to the effects of Ultravist through their mother during pregnancy.
If the child is less than 3 years old:
The doctor may monitor and examine thyroid function, especially in newborns.
The patient should inform their doctor if they have had nervous system disorders (e.g., seizures).
In situations where there may be a lowered seizure threshold or increased blood-brain barrier permeability (e.g., when taking certain medications), the patient may be at increased risk of neurological complications. Neurological complications occur more frequently in association with cerebral angiography and similar diagnostic tests.
A temporary brain function disorder called encephalopathy may occur during or shortly after the imaging procedure. If any of the subjective and objective symptoms associated with this condition, as described in section 4, occur, medical help should be sought immediately.
In the case of intravascular administration of Ultravist (administration into blood vessels), there is a risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (acute kidney injury). As a result, the kidneys may not function properly for a short time. Some patients may experience kidney failure.
This is especially true if any of the following conditions occur:
If the patient is to receive Ultravist intravascularly (into blood vessels) and has severe heart disease, including advanced coronary artery disease, there is an increased risk of arrhythmias (disorders of heart rhythm or frequency) and significant hemodynamic disturbances (changes in blood circulation).
Intravascular administration of the contrast agent to patients with heart failure may cause pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs) (see "Important information before using Ultravist" / "Patients with kidney failure").
If the patient is to receive Ultravist intravascularly (into blood vessels) and has a pheochromocytoma, they may be at increased risk of a hypertensive crisis (severe high blood pressure).
If the patient is to receive Ultravist intravascularly (into blood vessels) and has myasthenia (a chronic muscle disease), the administration of Ultravist may exacerbate the symptoms of the disease.
Contrast-enhanced mammography exposes the patient to a higher level of ionizing radiation than traditional mammography, but it is still within the limits set by international mammography guidelines. The radiation dose depends on breast thickness and the type of mammography device used.
The patient should tell their doctor about all medicines they are currently taking or have recently taken, as well as any medicines they plan to take, even those that are available without a prescription.
Some medicines may affect the action of Ultravist. These include:
The doctor will inform the patient how to use these medicines before the examination.
Before the examination, the patient should not eat for 2 hours, but they can drink. The doctor will provide further instructions.
If the patient is pregnant or breastfeeding, thinks they may be pregnant, or plans to have a child, they should consult their doctor before using this medicine.
No studies have been conducted in pregnant women.
Animal studies have not shown a harmful effect of the contrast agent on pregnancy, embryonic development, fetal development, the course of labor, or postpartum development.
No studies have been conducted on the safety of using Ultravist in breastfeeding women. Iopromide, the active substance of the contrast agent, is excreted in small amounts into the breast milk of breastfeeding women, so the risk of harmful effects on the baby is small. (See "Important information before using Ultravist" / "Warnings and precautions" / "Thyroid function disorders").
The medicine contains 0.255 mg of sodium (the main component of common salt) per 1 mL. This corresponds to 0.013% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sodium in the diet for adults.
Ultravist is administered by medical personnel.
Before intravascular administration (into blood vessels) of Ultravist, the doctor will check the patient's health and ask about any medications they are taking, as they may affect the development of thromboembolic complications (blood clot formation).
Additionally, the doctor:
The doctor will determine the appropriate dose of Ultravist for each patient individually, based on age, body weight, and the purpose and technique of the diagnostic examination.
Generally, doses not exceeding 1.5 g of iodine per kg of body weight are well tolerated.
This corresponds to:
Arthrography: 5-15 mL of Ultravist 300/370
Others: the dose is selected based on the diagnostic problem and the size of the area being examined.
The doctor will exercise particular caution when determining the dose, selecting the parameters of the radiological examination, and assessing the overall condition of the infant (under 1 year of age), especially newborns, as these patients are at increased risk of developing electrolyte disturbances and variable hemodynamic conditions.
Since iopromide, the active substance of Ultravist, is excreted almost exclusively by the kidneys, the elimination of iopromide is prolonged in patients with kidney failure. To reduce the risk of additional kidney failure caused by contrast agents in patients with pre-existing kidney function disorders, the doctor will use the smallest possible dose (see "Important information before using Ultravist" / "Warnings and precautions").
Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM)
Ultravist will be administered intravenously (into a vein), if possible using an automatic injector.
Adult women:
Ultravist 300/370: 1.5 mL/kg body weight.
In case of overdose, the patient should immediately inform their doctor. Symptoms may include disturbances in water and electrolyte balance, kidney failure, and complications from the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The doctor will monitor the parameters of water and electrolyte balance and kidney function and may order the removal of the medicine from the body by dialysis.
Like all medicines, Ultravist can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The most severe side effects (life-threatening and potentially leading to death) in patients receiving Ultravist are: anaphylactoid shock (allergic reactions), respiratory arrest, bronchospasm (difficulty breathing), laryngeal edema, pharyngeal edema, asthma, coma, cerebral infarction (reduced blood flow to a part of the brain), stroke, cerebral edema, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest (heart stops beating), myocardial ischemia (heart disease characterized by pain due to lack of blood flow to the heart), myocardial infarction, heart failure, bradycardia (slow heart rate), sinica (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen), hypotension (low blood pressure), shock, dyspnea (shortness of breath), pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs), and respiratory failure (insufficient oxygen supply to the lungs, and carbon dioxide is not fully exhaled).
The most commonly observed side effects in patients receiving Ultravist are: headache, nausea, and vasodilation.
If any of the following subjective and objective symptoms (whose frequency is unknown) occur, the patient should seek medical help immediately:
Frequent(may occur in 1 to 10 patients out of 100):
Infrequent(may occur in 1 to 10 patients out of 1,000):
Rare(may occur in 1 to 10 patients out of 10,000):
Unknown(frequency cannot be estimated from available data):
In addition to the side effects listed above, an increase in pancreatic enzyme activity and pancreatitis have been observed after administration of Ultravist during ERCP, with an unknown frequency of occurrence.
If any of the side effects worsen or any side effects not listed in this leaflet occur, the patient should tell their doctor or radiology staff.
If side effects occur, including any side effects not listed in this leaflet, the patient should tell their doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Safety Monitoring of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products: Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, Tel.: +48 22 49 21 301, Fax: +48 22 49 21 309, website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl.
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder.
Reporting side effects will help to gather more information on the safety of the medicine.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the packaging. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month.
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Store in a temperature below 30°C, protected from light and X-ray radiation.
Ultravist 300
1 mL of the solution for injection contains 623.40 mg of iopromide.
Ultravist 370
1 mL of the solution for injection contains 768.86 mg of iopromide.
Ultravist 300:
10 vials of 5 mL, 5 vials of 10 mL, 10 vials of 10 mL, 1 vial of 20 mL, 10 vials of 20 mL, 1 bottle of 50 mL, 10 bottles of 50 mL, 1 bottle of 75 mL, 10 bottles of 75 mL, 1 bottle of 100 mL, 10 bottles of 100 mL, 1 bottle of 150 mL, 10 bottles of 150 mL, 1 bottle of 200 mL, 10 bottles of 200 mL, 1 bottle of 500 mL, 8 bottles of 500 mL
Ultravist 370:
1 vial of 20 mL, 10 vials of 20 mL, 1 vial of 30 mL, 10 vials of 30 mL, 1 bottle of 50 mL, 10 bottles of 50 mL, 10 bottles of 75 mL, 1 bottle of 100 mL, 10 bottles of 100 mL, 1 bottle of 150 mL, 10 bottles of 150 mL, 1 bottle of 200 mL, 10 bottles of 200 mL, 1 bottle of 500 mL, 8 bottles of 500 mL
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Bayer AG
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Allee 1
51373 Leverkusen
Germany
Bayer AG Berlin
Müllerstrasse 178
13353 Berlin
Germany
Berlimed S.A., Madrid
Francisco Alonso, 7
Poligono Industrial Santa Rosa
28806 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid
Spain
To obtain more detailed information about this medicine, please contact the representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Bayer Sp. z o.o.
Al. Jerozolimskie 158
02-326 Warsaw
tel. (0-22) 572 35 00
Date of leaflet approval: September 2023
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