This thread is making people aware but regrettably, a lot of it is simply, factually incorrect.

- Gadolinium in its natural form is a rare earth metal which yes, would not be safe for injection but this could be said for almost all other
medicines with constituent parts which are potentially dangerous elements. The point is that the pharmaceutical companies chelate the Gd into larger moleclues where they are effectivly bound so tight so as not to cause problems. The body cannot break down these molecules. It is these larger molecules which can cause problems in those with renal impairment. Those who do not have renal impairment are able to excrete the contrast medium before it has any chance to linger in tissues.

- Youre absolutely correct that creatinine level is not routinely requested as part of routine bloods for patients having any form of contrast medium (iodinated or gadolinium based) but that is because it is now widely recognised in the literature that creatinine is not a reliable benchmark against which to judge whether a patients renal function is sufficient to cope with the contrast molecule. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), although estimated, is now the gold standard and despite your assumption, ALL patients having MRI scans where contrast is required in my instituion DO have this checked, whether they have known renal problems or not. In fairness, this is a recent decision made by the RCR but it is based on facts identified within peer reviewed research, NOT from biased websites and publications which are published on google. Noone in the medical profession would give any time to any articles published directly on the internet as such sites are NOT peer reviewed. This means that anyone can write a fact which may potentially be incorrect, and it will go unchecked (much like this thread). What is to say that the expert you refer to in your postings is in fact not on the payroll of a rival pharmaceutical company making a new form of the molecule?? This is much more likely than you may realise. It may sound like a negative thing but in fact, it is this competition which ensures constantly improving resources. However, it does not stop individuals making claims on public forums such as the internet.

- If your friend's problems were caused by 'the leakeage (sic) of the toxic metal outside the veins', then the problems are probably related to extravasation, not to the substance itself. Compartment syndrome is a problem, but could technically be caused by the extavasation of simple saline, which as we all know, is perfectly inert (although, to prove a point, the injection of its component parts would most probably be fatal). The extravasation of gadolinium based contrast is very painful admittedly, but that is why ALL staff administering contrast are very careful to test lines with saline prior to injection. The molecules of contrast are simply too big to 'leak' between the cells making up the three layers of vein wall by themsleves.