Recommendations for Interventional Pain Procedures During Contrast Shortage

Pain medicine practitioners should take measures to reduce the use of iodinated contrast medium in interventional pain procedures due to the current shortage of iohexol. Clinicians are advised to consider using alternate image guidance, such as ultrasound, delaying non-urgent procedures, and using alternative contrast agents, according to guidance just released by ASRA Pain Medicine.

Iohexol is unavailable or in limited supply due to a shutdown of a production facility in Shanghai, China. Although the facility is now open and resuming production of iohexol, the shortage is expected to continue for a few months. The availability of alternative contrast agents may also be impacted secondary to increased use.

Immediately upon becoming aware of the shortage, ASRA Pain Medicine convened a group of experts to identify mitigation efforts to ensure patients continue to receive high-quality and safe care.

A full manuscript providing further detail and references will be published shortly in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. A high-level overview of the recommendations and a graphic have been developed for ease of reference. As this issue continues to evolve, ASRA Pain Medicine will provide updates if needed. 

Read the recommendations here.