Delayed anaphylaxis due to gadolinium- A rare clinical scenario

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a sudden in onset, diffuse inflammatory form of lung injury which may be associated with a variety of etiologies such as pneumonia, sepsis, aspiration, and severe trauma. Prompt recognition and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome is critical to reduce the associated high mortality. Severe lung injury presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to gadolinium contrast media (gadobutrol) is rarely reported. We describe an interesting case of a 47-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with acute respiratory failure after gadolinium administration. She was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome, was admitted to the intensive care unit due to requiring mechanical ventilation. Her condition improved with epinephrine and steroids and she was successfully extubated and discharged from the hospital in one week.

Keywords

• Anaphylaxis
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Radiology