Taste After Taste: Delivery of Oral Omnipaque™
See Indications and Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning, about Omnipaque at the bottom of this page. Please also read the full Prescribing Information.
Omnipaque for Oral Use, in conjunction with IV Omnipaque, for CT of the abdomen
SEE VIDEO: Opacification of the gastrointestinal tract using Omnipaque: A clinical case study
Neutral taste for your patients*
- A majority of patients rated Omnipaque as tasting neutral (12) or good (6)1
- Omnipaque received a better taste preference score than did MD-Gastroview® (diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate sodium solution USP) (P<0.001)2
Omnipaque for Oral Use
Omnipaque - A nonionic, low-osmolar contrast medium indicated for oral use in both adults and children3
- Omnipaque is an oral contrast medium with a neutral taste that even children may drink4
- A majority of patients rated Omnipaque as tasting neutral (12) or good (6)1
- In a study of pediatric patients by Smevik and Westvik, 98% of children drank the entire dose5
- Patients in an abdominal computerized tomography study drank the entire prescribed amount and said they would do so again, if necessary6
- Omnipaque 350 mgI/ml was used in radiographic follow-through examination of the small bowel
*149 patients ingested Omnipaque injection diluted to 9 mg I/mL.1 Patients rated the taste on average at 0.86 ± 1.09. (Scores ranged from -2: dislike very much to +2: like very much.)2 In another study, 25 patients were given 100 mL of Omnipaque 350 prior to radiographic examination of the GI tract. A majority of patients rated Omnipaque as tasting neutral (12) or good (6).1
Important Safety Information About Omnipaque™ (iohexol)
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Omnipaque 140 and Omnipaque 350 are contraindicated for intrathecal use. Omnipaque Oral Solutions 9 and 12 are contraindicated for parenteral administration.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS – Risks Associated With Inadvertent Intrathecal Administration: Omnipaque Injections 140 and 350 are contraindicated for intrathecal use. Inadvertent intrathecal administration can cause death, convulsions/seizures, cerebral hemorrhage, coma, paralysis, arachnoiditis, acute renal failure, cardiac arrest, rhabdomyolysis, hyperthermia, and brain edema. Risks Associated With Inadvertent Parenteral Administration of Omnipaque Oral Solution: Omnipaque Oral Solutions 9 and 12 are contraindicated for parenteral administration. Adverse reactions such as hemolysis may occur if administered intravascularly. Do not administer Omnipaque Oral Solutions 9 and 12 parenterally. Hypersensitivity Reactions: Omnipaque can cause life-threatening or fatal hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis. Manifestations include respiratory arrest, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, angioedema, and shock. Most severe reactions develop shortly after the start of the injection (within three minutes), but reactions can occur up to hours later. There is an increased risk in patients with a history of a previous reaction to contrast agents and known allergies (ie, bronchial asthma, drug, or food allergies) or other hypersensitivities. Premedication with antihistamines or corticosteroids does not prevent serious life-threatening reactions but may reduce both their incidence and severity. Obtain a history of allergy, hypersensitivity, or hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast agents, and always have emergency resuscitation equipment and trained personnel available prior to Omnipaque administration. Monitor all patients for hypersensitivity reactions. Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury: Acute kidney injury, including renal failure, may occur after parenteral administration of Omnipaque. Risk factors include preexistng renal impairment, dehydration, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, advanced vascular disease, elderly age, concomitant use of nephrotoxic or diuretic medications, multiple myeloma/paraproteinaceous diseases, and repetitive and/or large doses of an iodinated contrast agent. Use the lowest necessary dose of Omnipaque in patients with renal impairment. Adequately hydrate patients prior to and following parenteral administration of Omnipaque. Do not use laxatives, diuretics, or preparatory dehydration prior to Omnipaque administration.
Visualization
Omnipaque is an oral contrast medium that offers gastrointestinal visualization1,6
- Omnipaque had a statistically significant, higher small-bowel density than GastrografinTM at one hour (P=0.007) and four hours (P=0.04) after ingestion1
- Provides good visualization of the intestines and is approved for gastrointestinal use in infants and children7
Graph courtesy of Stordahl et al, 1998 - Acta Radial
References:
1. Stordahl A, Laerum F, Gjølberg T, Enge T. Water-soluble contrast media in radiography of small bowel obstruction: comparison of ionic and non-ionic contrast media. Acta Radiol. 1988;29:53-56.
2. McNamara MM, Lockhart ME, Fineberg NS, Berland LL. Oral contrast media for body CT: comparison of diatrizoate sodium and iohexol for patient acceptance and bowel opacification. Am J Roentgenol. 2010;195:1137-1141.
3. Omnipaque [prescribing information]. Marlborough, MA: GE Healthcare; 2018.
4. Smevik B, Stake G. Omnipaque as a contrast medium for bowel opacification in abdominal CT in infants and children. In: Kaufmann HJ, ed. Contrast Media in Child Radiology. Basel, Switzerland: Karger; 1986:79-80.
5. Smevik B, Westvik J. Iohexol for contrast enhancement of bowel in pediatric abdominal CT. Acta Radiol. 1990;31:601-604.
6. Lönnemark M, Magnusson A. Oral contrast media in CT of the abdomen: iohexol of different concentrations as a gastrointestinal contrast medium. Acta Radiol. 1995;36: 396-398.
7. Stake G, Smevik B. Iohexol as contrast medium for the gastrointestinal tract in childhood. In: Kaufmann HJ, ed. Contrast Media in Child Radiology. Basel, Switzerland: Karger; 1986:107-109.
Reimbursement
See Indications and Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning, about Omnipaque at the bottom of this page. Please also read the full Prescribing Information.
GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics Reimbursement
GE Healthcare advocates for timely patient access to medically appropriate, high-quality imaging services, provided by knowledgeable and skilled providers of care. We recognize the significant impact that reimbursement policies can have on you and your practice, and we strive to provide accurate and reliable information to help you navigate the reimbursement process.
Coding and Payment Information
Through the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS), Medicare currently "packages" payment for contrast media agents into the payment for the associated procedure.
Contrast media is separately payable in physician offices and freestanding imaging centers. Payment is based on the average sales price (ASP) + 6%. ASP rates are adjusted quarterly and are based on the prior quarter's ASP data. The rates can be viewed on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website at:
https://www.cms.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/
Physicians performing diagnostic imaging procedures using contrast media should report the appropriate HCPCS code for the product along with the appropriate CPT® code(s) for the procedure(s). Physicians should select codes based on the iodine concentration used in the procedure. The mL of contrast volume reported should be consistent with the mL of contrast given to complete the imaging study. The applicable codes for Omnipaque are noted in the above chart.
