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Indications & Uses
Diascan is a contrast medium used for cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as general MRI of the body, given by intravenous injection. It enhances contrast and helps visualise abnormal structures or lesions in various parts of the body, including the central nervous system (CNS).
Pharmacology
Gadodiamide is a clear, colourless to pale yellow solution for injection, containing 287 mg of Gadodiamide USP per ml (equivalent to 0.5 mmol/ml).
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the visualization of normal and diseased brain and spinal tissue relies partly on differences in radiofrequency signal intensity. Gadodiamide shortens both the T1 and T2 relaxation times of the tissues it reaches. At the doses used clinically, its main effect is on the T1 relaxation time, which results in a brighter (higher-intensity) signal.
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
No special preparation of the patient is required. Gadodiamide should be drawn into the syringe immediately before use. The vial is intended for one patient only. Any contrast medium not used in one examination must be discarded.
Dosage for adults and children: The recommended dose is 0.1 mmol per kg body weight (equivalent to 0.2 ml per kg body weight) up to 100 kg. For patients above 100 kg body weight, 20 ml is usually enough to provide diagnostically adequate contrast. The required dose should be given as a single intravenous injection. To make sure the contrast medium is completely injected, the intravenous line may be flushed with 5 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride injection.
Adults only: When brain metastases are suspected, a dose of 0.3 mmol per kg body weight (equivalent to 0.6 ml per kg body weight) can be given up to 100 kg. Above 100 kg body weight, a total of 60 ml is usually sufficient. This 0.3 mmol per kg dose can be given as a bolus intravenous injection. In patients whose scans remain unclear after the 0.1 mmol per kg injection, a second bolus injection of 0.2 mmol per kg body weight (equivalent to 0.4 ml per kg body weight) may add diagnostic value if given within 20 minutes of the first injection.
Side Effects
Discomfort with a general sensation of warmth, coolness, local pressure, or pain at the injection site was commonly seen in clinical studies, affecting more than 1% but fewer than 10% of patients. Dizziness, nausea, headache, and a distorted sense of taste or smell were reported less often, though still in more than 1% of patients.
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
The accepted safety considerations and procedures required for magnetic resonance imaging apply when Diascan is used for contrast enhancement. Contrast media should be administered by qualified personnel familiar with the procedure, using an appropriate technique. The possibility of a reaction, including serious, life threatening, fatal, anaphylactoid, cardiovascular, or other idiosyncratic reactions, should always be considered, especially in patients with known clinical hypersensitivity or a history of asthma or other allergic respiratory disorders. A course of action should therefore be planned in advance, with the necessary drugs and equipment available for immediate treatment should a serious reaction occur. Transitory changes in serum iron, usually within the normal range, have been observed in some patients after administration of Diascan. The clinical significance of this, if any, is not known, but all patients in whom this effect was observed remained symptom free. Diascan interferes with serum calcium measurements using some colorimetric (complexometric) methods commonly used in hospitals, and it may also interfere with the measurement of other electrolytes such as iron. Such methods should therefore not be used for 12 to 24 hours after Diascan is administered. If these measurements are needed during that period, an alternative method should be used. Diagnostic procedures involving contrast agents should be carried out under the supervision of a physician with the necessary training and a thorough knowledge of the procedure being performed. Diascan drawn into a disposable syringe should be used immediately. If non disposable equipment is used, scrupulous care should be taken to prevent residual contamination with traces of cleansing agents. Data on the safety of repeated injections are not available. Where a physician determines that sequential or repeat examinations are required, a suitable interval should be allowed between administrations to permit clearance of the drug from the body. In some patients with severely impaired renal function (GFR below 10 ml per minute), further small reductions in GFR and increases in serum creatinine have been observed after Diascan is given. As the clinical relevance of these findings is not fully established, care should be exercised before using Diascan in such patients.
Contraindications
Gadodiamide should not be given to patients who are known to be hypersensitive to Gadodiamide or any of its components.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility: Three short-term in vitro genotoxicity assays and one in vivo assay all gave negative results. No long-term studies have been carried out to assess the carcinogenic potential of Gadodiamide. In rats, Gadodiamide did not affect fertility or general reproductive performance, and teratology studies in rats and rabbits showed no such effect at doses that did not cause maternal toxicity.
Use in Pregnancy: Pregnancy category B3. Reproductive performance in rats was unaffected at doses up to 1.0 mmol/kg. In rabbits, a higher proportion of litters showed skeletal or visceral abnormalities at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/kg, though this may reflect maternal toxicity rather than a direct effect of the drug itself. There are no adequate, well-controlled studies of Gadodiamide in pregnant women, so it should be used during pregnancy only if the expected benefit outweighs the potential risk to the foetus.
Use in Lactation: Whether Gadodiamide passes into human breast milk is not known. Breast-feeding should be stopped before the drug is given and should not resume until at least 24 hours after administration.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Use in Special Populations
Use in Children
Gadodiamide has been shown to be safe and effective for whole body magnetic resonance imaging in children from 6 months of age. In infants and neonates, its safety and effectiveness have been established for evaluating lesions within the brain and spine. There is no experience with Gadodiamide in children below 6 months of age who have severe hepatic or renal disease, in premature infants below 4 weeks, or in those with a post-conceptional age of less than 30 weeks.
Use in elderly patients
Elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, so care should be taken when choosing the dose, and it may be useful to monitor renal function.
Overdose
No clinical consequences of an overdose of gadodiamide have been reported, and acute signs of toxicity are unlikely in patients whose kidneys work normally. Treatment is symptomatic. Some patients clear the contrast medium slowly because of renal insufficiency, and others may have received excessive doses. In both groups, the contrast medium can be removed by haemodialysis.
⚠️ In an emergency call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Storage
Keep gadodiamide at room temperature, below 30°C, and away from light. Each vial is meant for one patient only, so whatever is left in it after use must be thrown away.
Drug Interactions
Common questions about Gadoscan 287 mg/ml
What is Gadoscan 287 mg/ml IV Injection?
Gadoscan 287 mg/ml IV Injection is a medicine that contains Gadodiamide. It is made by Popular Pharmaceuticals PLC. It belongs to the Contrast medium for diagnostic procedures group of medicines.
What is Gadoscan used for?
Diascan is a contrast medium used for cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as general MRI of the body, given by intravenous injection. It enhances contrast and helps visualise abnormal structures or lesions in various parts of the body, including the central nervous system (CNS).
What are the side effects of Gadoscan?
Discomfort with a general sensation of warmth, coolness, local pressure, or pain at the injection site was commonly seen in clinical studies, affecting more than 1% but fewer than 10% of patients. Dizziness, nausea, headache, and a distorted sense of taste or smell were reported less often, though still in more than 1% of patients.
Can I take Gadoscan during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility: Three short-term in vitro genotoxicity assays and one in vivo assay all gave negative results. No long-term studies have been carried out to assess the carcinogenic potential of Gadodiamide. Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
What happens if I take too much Gadoscan?
No clinical consequences of an overdose of gadodiamide have been reported, and acute signs of toxicity are unlikely in patients whose kidneys work normally. Treatment is symptomatic. In an emergency call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
How should I store Gadoscan?
Keep gadodiamide at room temperature, below 30°C, and away from light. Each vial is meant for one patient only, so whatever is left in it after use must be thrown away.
Can I take other medicines with Gadoscan?
Some medicines can interact with Gadodiamide, for example: Needle, Iron. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about every medicine you take.
Do I need a prescription for Gadoscan?
Gadoscan is a prescription (Rx) medicine. Take it as your doctor advises.