As news of the potentially harmful effects of gadolinium continues to spread both within the medical community and to the general public, new links between this element and the conditions to which it’s being linked continue to arise as well. A recent article published on Medpagetoday.com proposes another link between gadolinium and a serious side effect. “In a pilot study using stored tissue, an enzyme involved in wound healing was markedly increased in the skin of patients who suffered nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), according to David Sane, M.D., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and colleagues. The rare condition occurs in some end-stage renal patients after they undergo magnetic resonance imaging using a gadolinium-based contrast agent, Dr. Sane and colleagues noted in the October issue of the American Journal of Dermatopathology.” If you suffer from kidney problems, always ask if anything that’s being put into your body contains gadolinium. If you have suffered as a result of having this substance injected into your system, contact a gadolinium lawyer at Williams Kherkher today either by calling us toll-free at (866) 950-9000.

Gadolinium has been in the news quite a bit in recent months due to its potential link to serious side effects in patients when it’s used in MRI’s and MRA’s. These side effects typically strike those patients with kidney problems. However, gadolinium is being used in other ways, and according to Plenty Magazine, one of these uses could prove to be quite beneficial – energy-efficient refrigeration.

“If you follow developments in the world of magnetic refrigeration—and who doesn’t?—you’ll know that the idea has been around for a while. Basically it works because certain types of material (typically the element gadolinium, which for various reasons I don’t understand, is best suited to the task) produce heat when magnetized. When the magnet is removed from the material it becomes cold again. The heat that’s been generated is then transferred to a liquid and pumped out of the box, while the inside stays cold.”

Even though this could be encouraging news, it doesn’t change the fact that gadolinium has been linked to injuries all over the world. If you have been injured as a result of having gadolinium injected into your system, contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher for a free consultation either by using the link provided or by calling (866) 950-9000.

In addition to the warnings/scrutiny provided by, among other agencies, the FDA in the United States towards gadolinium and its potential dangers to patients with kidney problems, officials in other countries are also beginning to warn the public about these same dangers in reaction to the studies and statistics provided by the American medical community.

Recently, Lexi-Comp, Inc. of Canada published a notice that Health Canada, which is generally analogous to the FDA in the United States, is alerting consumers of a notice that had been sent to Canadian hospitals regarding the potential link between gadolinium and the development of NSF/NSD.

In the report, Lexi-Comp stated the following:

Although there have been no reported cases of NSF/NFD in Canada, worldwide there have been 109 cases reported to date. Health Canada is recommending that consumers with serious kidney disease who may be undergoing MRI, discuss their individualized needs with their healthcare provider. Discussions should be aimed at minimizing risks for developing NSF/NFD following imaging procedures. Health Canada, in association with the authorized producers, will be working to update the product labeling.

As can be seen by this report, gadolinium and its potential links to debilitating and even fatal medical consequences is quickly becoming a world-wide problem. If you have been injured as a result of having gadolinium injected into your system, contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher for a free consultation either by using the link provided or by calling 866.950.9000.

Gadolinium is a chemical substance that had become quite popular in the medical community in recent years because of the benefits it provided doctors in evaluating the results of MRI scans. Basically, gadolinium serves as a contrasting agent. It is injected into the patient’s body before administering an MRI, and the result is that blood vessels and tissues surrounding organs were quite easily separated from the organs that doctors were attempting to evaluate. This visual contrast led to more accurate diagnoses in patients, and MRI’s became more prevalent as a result.

Problems Arise

Recently, reports have begun to surface linking serious side effects in patients with kidney problems or renal disease and the use of gadolinium in MRI’s or sometimes MRA’s. Specifically, these side effects affect those with these types of problems because normally, otherwise-healthy patients are able to expel the gadolinium from their bodies with the use of their kidneys, resulting in no harm to the patient.

However, those with kidney or renal issues are not able to eliminate this substance from their bodies. This prolonged exposure to gadolinium can lead to the development of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF), which is also known as Nephrogrenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NFD). This terrible condition can lead to long-term medical problems, including the scarring of tissue, skin and internal organs.

If you have suffered as a result of the presence of gadolinium in your system, seek immediate medical attention. As soon as your medical evaluation is completed, contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher for a free initial consultation.

Although it can be argued that the used of gadolinium as a contrasting agent during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would be most beneficial, the side effects of this agent have become a definite health issue.  In fact, the side effects can be fatal.  Such is the case of an Ohio mother who is suing Bayer AG for the death of her 24-year-old son, Drake.  She claims that Drake received an injection of Magnevist which contains gadolinium.  Her son was undergoing an MRI for a kidney disease he had.  It is patients with kidney diseases that have shown to experience rather severe side effects from being injected with contrast agents that contain gadolinium.  This lawsuit alleges that Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals’ Magnevist caused nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), disease of the skin and joints, which caused the death of Drake.  The Food and Drug Administration has given notice to the public that there have been reports of the breakout of skin and joint diseases from patients exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents. 

If you have had an MRI and have not been feeling the same since, you need to speak to a gadolinium lawyer to find out more about what you need to do.  Do not hesitate to call (866) 950-9000 to schedule a free consultation at Williams Kherkher.

A recent study performed by dermatologist Whitney A. High, MD, MEng, Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado, Denver and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology advanced the growing statistical evidence of the presence of gadolinium in the systems of patients suffering from Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NSF/NFD), which was initially recognized as a disease in 1997. 

Given the relatively short amount of time that NSF/NSD has been on the medical radar, new facts and figures are constantly emerging, and this particular study showed that four patients of the seven total who suffered from NSF/NSD had gadolinium in their systems.  Although this is a relatively small sample, it only bolsters the alarm that’s growing within the medical community regarding the link between injecting gadolinium into patients with kidney problems to help diagnose an MRI and the subsequent side effects.

In healthy patients, gadolinium is expelled from the system in a short amount of time, but those with kidney issues are generally unable to move this chemical agent out of their bodies.  The result of this resulting prolonged exposure to the substance leads to the potential scarring of internal organs, which in turn can lead to serious injuries or even death. 

If you have suffered as a result of being injected with gadolinium, you need to contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher today for a free initial consultation.   You can do so by clicking the link provided or by calling the firm toll free at 866.950.9000. 

On May 23, 2007, the FDA took yet another step in its constantly-growing level of regulation over gadolinium, a substance that’s been an ingredient in several popular contrasting agents used to help doctors review MRI’s and MRA’s. This represents the strongest step yet that’s been taken by the federal government.

According to the FDA, the following products were singled out as being potentially problematic for certain patients:

• Magnevist (gadopentetate dimeglumine)
• Ominiscan (gadodiamide)
• OptiMARK (gadoversetamide)
• MultiHance (gadobenate dimeglumine)
• ProHance (gadoteridol)

This step is simply the latest development in the FDA’s oversight of these products, and these steps date back to June of 2006, with progressively stronger steps being taken every time the FDA gets involved with gadolinium-containing products.

If you have been harmed by gadolinium, you need to seek medical attention and then contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher today for a free consultation.