It might be tougher to get some medical imaging scans in coming weeks. Here's why
South Jersey hospital systems are preparing for a unique supply-chain shortage that could make getting some non-emergency medical scans harder over the next few weeks.
The shortage of intravenous contrast media — iodine-based solutions administered to render vivid images of the body's interior — is expected to last through next month, health professionals say.
Isaac Gonzalez remembers getting injected with IV contrast for a test years ago, and said that despite experiencing a slightly unpleasant burning sensation, it was an important step in "showing what needs to be shown" in his scans.
"It's like a trickle effect — a shortage of one thing, then another thing, then another," said Gonzalez, who grew up in South Jersey, of the anticipated IV contrast shortage. "Things that are necessities are becoming less and less available."
The anticipated shortage will impact radiation-based imaging, but will not affect magnetic imaging processes like MRIs, which are sometimes accompanied by a different type of gadolinium-based contrast agent.
Following a COVID lockdown in one GE Healthcare factory in Shanghai, China, which halted production in April, health officials have warned that scarce supply is expected to be an issue nationwide.
More: Mount Laurel resident a barrier breaker as head of multi-family contractor business
"The question to be asked is, why don't we make (the contrast) here?" wondered Monmouth County resident Jennefer Mazza said this week while sitting outside eating gelato in downtown Haddonfield.
Hospitals and specialty care facilities, which are now familiar with confronting supply-chain problems, will need to be proactive to find alternative suppliers while also conserving the contrast media they already have from their most recent shipments.
Virtua Health is working with its pharmacy department to find sterile ways of minimizing waste of IV contrast, and prioritizing urgent and emergent cases over elective appointments, explained Dan Choi, vice president of operations for the cardiothoracic service.
The contrast dye is generally associated with CT scans and X-rays, but it also plays a crucial role in imaging vascular systems.
For instance, a doctor might administer the contrast agent to a patient who comes in after suffering a heart attack to look for possible blockage in the arteries. Without the contrast revealing the finer details of what's going on in the blood vessels, the image would be incomplete.
"In the cardiovascular and neurovascular world, the use of IV contrast is not just everyday — it's every case that we treat and deal with," Choi said.
He added that it's imperative to save IV contrast for cardiovascular and neurovascular imaging because, more often than not, patients in need of those tests have life-threatening conditions.
"The priority is given to those service lines to make sure that our stroke center is full capacity during this very shortage," Choi said.
Jefferson Health's New Jersey system plans to shift supplies between facilities when necessary, substitute other imaging modalities for CT scans when feasible, and lobby for more supply from GE, according to David May, chief quality and safety officer for the New Jersey division.
"There are certainly alternative suppliers, but those have become, obviously, hard to find as well," said May. Hospitals across the country are competing for the same supplies from a handful of manufacturers. Nevertheless, May said Jefferson Health is optimistic, and no appointments have been canceled yet due to the upcoming shortage.
"I don't foresee us having to tell someone that they're not allowed to get a CAT scan with contrast," said May.
Still, Jefferson physicians have been briefed that they'll have to be thoughtful about using IV contrast, and that delays are possible depending on supply in the coming weeks.
Izzy Koyama is a community storytelling reporter for the Burlington County Times, Courier-Post and The Daily Journal. Reach her at IKoyama@gannett.com. Follow her on twitter @ox_fur_comma.
Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Will supply shortage delay my CT scan in New Jersey?