Eovist
Generic Name:
Gadoxetate disodium
Brand Names:
Eovist
Eovist Description:
Eovist is the trade name for gadoxetate disodium, a drug used as a paramagnetic contrast agent during MRI scans marketed by Bayer. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging which is a commonly used medical diagnosis technique in radiology. It uses powerful magnets to differentiate between soft tissues, skeletal and the nervous system. Eovist is given to enhance the MRI image, showing tumors and lesions clearly.
Gadoxetate is particularly useful to diagnosing problems in the liver. The usage of Eovist enhances the image of the hepatic region showing lesions and tumors clearly if any are present. Evosit is only given intravenously before the MRI scan.
Eovist Uses:
Liver lesions can be detected through two MRI scans – one before injecting the contrast and another after injecting Eovist. Eovist is injected after a pre-contrast MRI is taken. The post-contrast MRI may be taken 20 minutes to 120 minutes from the time of injecting. Eovist takes approximately 20 minutes post-injecting to react. Hence hepatocyte imaging is done after 20 minutes. For patients with high levels of bilrubin or ferritin, the MRI scans are done prior to 60 minutes from the time of injecting. Eovist helps tissues and blood appear more clearly on an MRI.
Eovist Interactions:
Eovist does not cause any negative interactions to most drugs and does not get altered as it stays in the human body for a maximum of 24 hours. Anionic drugs that react with bile negatively interact with Eovist and therefore should be avoided or taken only with the consent of a doctor or a health care professional.
Eovist Dosage Information:
Typical Dosage Recommendations
The recommended dosage of Eovist is 0.1mL/kg body weight. It can be increased up to 0.4mL/kg body weight. Eovist is available in single-use vials and is a pale yellow liquid administered intravenously with a bolus injection.
Missing a Dose
Missing a dose of Eovist should not be an issue as Eovist is injected after taking a MRI scan without contrast. However if Eovist is not used as a contrast, the lesions of the liver are less clear in the final image.
Overdosing
The highest dosage of Eovist injected into a human body was 0.4mL/kg body weight and it did not react any differently than a reaction shown for lower doses. Since Eovist is only administered by a doctor or a health care professional an overdose should not occur. In the case of an overdose, excess of Eovist can be removed by hemodialysis.
Eovist FDA Approval:
July 3, 2008
Eovist Recall/Black Box Warning Information:
There are no recalls for Eovist.
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Eovist carries a Black Box Warning notifying doctors and patients that Eovist should not be administered to patients with severe renal impairment or patients in the peri-operative liver transplantation period, as it increases the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a serious complication. If approved by a doctor, patients with mild renal impairment maybe administered Eovist followed by hemodialysis after the scan is taken.
Other Warnings
Eovist may alter the results of certain medical tests such as serum iron. It is important for a doctor or the health care professional to know that the patient has been administered Eovist.
Eovist generally does not produce any side effects so it is highly necessary to receive immediate medical attention even if a minor problem such as a reddening of skin or skin itching occurs.
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