NSF Affects The Kidneys And May Lead To Hemodialysis
In 1997, Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) was identified by a medical team in California. It has since been linked to the metal gadolinium, but before 1997, there were no documented cases of any individuals with symptoms similar to those with the painful, even life-threatening ailment. In each case, the team noticed that victims expressed the following symptoms: • Hardened skin
• Dark patches on the skin
• Unexplained lesions (cuts) on the skin
• Fibrous nodes and plaques over the skin
• Fibrosis of the diaphragm
• Fibrosis of lungs
• Fibrosis of thigh muscles or abdomen
NSF takes place when tissues in various organs or muscles continue to grow as if they were repairing themselves, creating more fibrous tissue than is necessary. Fibrosing in the skin causes it to become hard, or nodes to appear. If it is severe enough in the lungs, it suffocates the victim, due to a lack of functional air sacs. Affected muscles become unusable, which can easily cause a loss of mobility and dangerous falls. Because the disease was so recently discovered, Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis currently has no cure, nor are there any reliable treatments to deal with the side effects. Research is currently under way, however, and medical teams across the country are making strides to combat complications and death from the malady. It is possible that this illness has only recently been discovered because it requires a very specific set of conditions. Most victims, for instance, are experiencing at least a mild case of renal failure, meaning that their kidneys are impaired in some way. People with end stage renal disease, meaning that their kidneys have completely stopped working, are at a particularly high risk for contracting the disease. Additionally, most patients had recently undergone an MRI, or some other radiology procedure. This is significant because, in many cases, doctors must use what are called contrast agents to diagnose a problem. While these are not strictly necessary, the agents create a higher contrast on the developed image, allowing experts a more accurate picture of what is happening inside. Victims typically received an injection containing a contrast agent, so that doctors could analyze kidney function. These contained various kinds of dyes that soak into the organs of the body. The common ingredient found in all the injections received by the victims was gadolinium, a naturally occurring metal. Here is a list of commonly used dyes that contain gadolinium: • MultiHance (Bracco)
• ProHance (Bracco)
• Magnevist (Bayer Healthcare)
• OptiMARK (Mallinckrodt)
• Omniscan (GE Healthcare)
If you have any renal problems and were recently subjected to an MRI or other radiology procedure requiring the use of a contrasting agent, are experiencing one or more of the severe symptoms listed above, or have any other reason to believe that you may have contracted this serious disorder, contact your doctor, physician, or other healthcare professional immediately. An early diagnosis is vital in mitigating the often debilitating problems associated with the ailment. Additionally, you may be due recompense from an existing or pending MRI lawsuit. If your doctor diagnoses you, contact a lawyer immediately to see if you qualify.
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