How to Reduce Gadolinium Damage

Gadolinium is never found as a free element in nature. This metal has the capacity to absorb neutrons and is hence used in radiography and in nuclear reactors. In addition, Gadolinium exhibits para-magnetic properties and it used in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). A dye like substance containing gadolinium is injected into the body to enhance the quality of the images from the magnetic resonance test. This element can cause severe side effects including nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NFS). This condition is also known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD). This is a very severe health condition and it can prove fatal for patients who are suffering from kidney related diseases.

Instructions

Reducing Gadolinium Damage

• 1

  Avoid gadolinium. Gadolinium causes NSF or NFD even in people who have no other health problems. There is no cure for NFS or NFD and it is a progressive disease. The symptoms can appear in a day or take nearly two years.

• 2

  Detect gadolinium damage early. If it is detected early, gadolinium damage can be slowed down. The John Hopkins study found in the "Journal of Radiology" found that the average time between gadolinium injection and gadolinium damage symptoms was 29 days. After you are injected with gadolinium, if you experience the following symptoms then you should immediately get tested. The symptoms of NFS /NFD are a swelling up of skin, joint pain, swelling around the joints, an appearance of red patches, skin that is itchy and painful around the injected area, calcium deposited around the tissues, pain in the bones and yellow plaque formation around the eyes.

• 3

  Change your clothes and thoroughly flush the skin with soap water many times.

• 4

  If a friend of yours who was injected with gadolinium dye stops breathing, bring him to the fresh air. If you know CPR, perform CPR on the patient. The patient might need to be supported on artificial respiration system, which will require a hospital trip.