Introduction: There is an increase in useage of contrast agents in radiological diagnostics, among which iodine is the most widely used. Contrast agents are substances used to distinguish the target tissue from the surrouding. They can be administered in various ways, the most common is intravenous administration, after which there is also the biggest possibility of side effects. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present contrast agents with emphasis on the occurrence of unwanted side effects after the application of iodine contrast agents. The aim of the thesis is to review the literature in detail and present the incidence of side effects, identify risk factors for their occurance, and determine how to avoid the occurance of nephrotoxicity after application of iodine contrast agent Methods: In this thesis we used a descriptive method of work with a review of the existing literature in the field of contrast agents and the occurance of side effects in radiological diagnostics. From October 2021 to April 2022, we searched for the mentioned literature in databases such as Cobiss, RUL, Digital Library of Slovenia, DIKUL, Pub Med, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Radiopedia. The final analysis included accessible and peer-reviewed English and Slovenian texts written between 2000 and 2022, articles describing the use of contrast agents and the occurance of side effects with the application itself, and articles with clear purpose and results. Results: We found that the incidence of adverse reactions was very low compared to the number of investigations performed, with the vast majority beeing dominated by mild reactions, followed by moderate ones, and the least severe reactions. The incidence of adverse reactions is also influenced by risk factors such as female gender, age over 60, SpO2 levels, systolic blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, renal impairment, previous allergic and contrast agents reactions. Finally, we also found that we can influence the prevention of nephrotoxicity in various ways. Discussion and conclusion: In Slovenia, there is a lack of research in the field of adverse side effects after the administration of contrast agents, which could be compared with foreign literature and thus come to conclusions about the incidence of side effects in our country. Nevertheless, the objectives of the thesis were achieved, as we found that the diagnostic effect of contrast agents outweighs the occurance of side effects. However, knowing the risk factors can reduce this incidence.
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