This information is not meant to replace any discussion between you and your healthcare team. If after reading this information you have any questions, please discuss these with the radiographers who have been caring for you whilst you are in the department.
What is extravasation?
You have been given this information to read because you have had an extravasation of contrast. This means that during the scan you have just had, some of the contrast (liquid dye) which was injected into your vein has escaped, and has leaked out of your vein and is now underneath your skin.
You may notice a ‘lump’ appear in your skin, caused by the contrast. You might also feel some pain, tightening or a burning sensation around the injection site. This is not an allergic reaction though.
If you are an outpatient, you will now be asked to wait for up to 45 minutes for the team to treat you and make sure that you are well enough to go home.
Why has this happened?
We take all precautions to make sure that the cannula (thin tube inserted into your vein) is working properly before your scan, and to identify any potential leaks as early as possible and stop the injection.
Extravasation is rare (less than 1 in every 100 injections). However, it is a known potential complication of having an injection of contrast. This is for two reasons, firstly because the dye is quite thick, and also because it is often injected at a fast rate using a pump to get the contrast to where it needs to be for the scan.
What will you do to help?
Your affected arm will be raised and a cold compress will be applied. We may also ask to draw on your skin with a special marker pen, and may ask you if you would agree to have a photograph taken of the area of skin affected.
If the affected area improves, or gets better completely, you can go home. We may also give you some hydrocortisone cream to apply to reduce the redness of your skin if you need this. Changes in skin colour may be harder to see on brown or black skin.
A doctor or nurse specialist may be asked to examine the affected area if we cannot see an improvement.
What should I do at home?
- If the area is painful, take your usual pain relief.
- If there is swelling, raising your arm for a while with pillows may help.
- Place an ice pack wrapped in a clean tea towel over the affected area 3 to 4 times a day. Never place ice directly onto your skin. Do not leave an ice pack on your skin for more than 20 minutes at a time.
- Apply the hydrocortisone cream we have provided as directed, until any redness disappears.
What should I look out for?
Extravasation is usually a minor injury which does not require any further attention.
However, if you experience any of the following:
- pain becomes worse and is not controlled by simple pain relief
- your arm or hand changes colour (this is not always as visible on brown or black skin)
- you experience ‘pins and needles’ (tingling), or a change in sensation in your arm or hand
- increased swelling in your arm or hand
- blistering or ulceration of the skin around the injection site
please seek advice from the radiology department or attend your nearest Emergency Department (A&E) and take this information with you.
Contact details
Radiology department
Available 9am to 5pm
01709 427086
Vascular Access
Available 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
01709 427545
Out of hours (6pm to 8am), call the main hospital switchboard on 01709 420000 and ask to speak to a member of the CT team in the control room.