Talk:Contrast Medium
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Medical vs.diagnostic
Perhaps there's a better word than either, since not all clinical use of contrast media is diagnostic. Consider interventional cardiology: a PTCA or stent placement really requires contrast, unless intravascular ultrasound or perhaps fiber optic viewing in the catheter gets much, much better. This is equally true for interventional radiology in the brain, peripheral vasculature, etc.
Without contrast, it's hard enough to see the vessel, other than inferring it from the position of the catheter tip. (nod of head here to the 3D magnetic locating coil in Biosense, although I don't know the approval status). In a PTCA or atherectomy, you aren't going to see the extent of occlusion, or know you've compressed or removed it, without intravascular contrast. In like manner, if you are going to patch a cerebrovascular hemorrhage with an interventional radiological approach, you won't see much without contrast.
So, while I'm perfectly open to a substitute for "medical" -- I don't think "diagnostic" is the right word, because contrast media are essential to a number of therapeutic interventions. Howard C. Berkowitz 10:44, 29 July 2008 (CDT)