Radiology, Vol 184, 383-384, Copyright © 1992 by Radiological Society of North America
Comparative randomized double-blind study of hydroxyzine versus placebo as premedication before injection of iodinated contrast media
PR Bertrand, PM Soyer, PJ Rouleau, DP Alison and MJ Billardon
Department of Adult Radiology, Hopital Bretonneau Chu Tours, France.
The use of ionic contrast media in radiologic examinations may cause a wide
variety of anaphylactoid reactions. The aim of this double-blind randomized
study was to determine whether a simple and inexpensive premedication based
on an antihistamine could reduce the number of idiosyncratic reactions in
400 patients (251 men and 149 women) without a clinical history of allergy
who were to receive an intravenous injection of a low-osmolality iodinated
contrast medium. Twelve hours before examination, a group of 200 patients
was given one 100-mg tablet of hydroxyzine; another group of 200 was given
a placebo tablet under the same conditions. Results in the two groups were
comparable at the .05 level of significance. Twenty-five patients in the
placebo group had a reaction (mainly urticaria); only two patients in the
hydroxyzine group had a reaction (P less than .0001; odds ratio, 14.1). No
severe reaction occurred in either group. Because hydroxyzine and placebo
were allocated at random, it is concluded that hydroxyzine reduces the
frequency of minor anaphylactoid reactions in patients at low risk.
