Feels like internal bruising

[Elaine888]

Just before entering the CT machine, I had the contrast injected into my arm through the tube already in there, this failed as and I could feel my forearm burning and aching. The radiologist comes running out of the room apologising and said the dye had gone under the skin rather than into veins.

So she squeezes it out as best as she could with her hands and I look down and my arm had swollen to double the size as the contrast was going in.

A month on my arm is still hurting and aching when I stretch it out or something and it feels like it is severely bruised underneath the skin. Just wondered if this had happened to anyone else and how long did it take for pain to completely go.

[moo196]

Gosh Elaine -sounds horrible experience . The 3 scans I have had haven't ended like this so I'm afraid I can't help with it - presumably you have checked again with your Gp ? Good luck x

[cat3]

How short-sighted of the radiographer not to have immediately sought the opinion of an A&E doctor instead of keeping quiet.

I'd definitely get it checked out at A&E if I were you since it's still troubling you after all this time. It needs looking at, if only from the point of view of infection

How rotten for you Elaine ; this is so incompetent & negligent. I hope you'll see someone who can bring the swelling down and ease the discomfort ASAP.

Best wishes....................................... x

[malalatete]

Check out what the contrast material used was.

Usually for MRI they use gadolinium. If this is the case unless you have a known allergy to it (rare) or a kidney disorder it should not present a problem : it is routinely used for soft tissue (skin and muscle) scans; is absorbed by the body and excreted; and is held to be safe for breastfeeding mums.

Having said that my GP recently told me when I tore a muscle that a soft tissue injury ( such as a needle stick in the wrong place) can take longer than a bone to mend - 6 weeks is not unusual.

Hope you can be reassured soon.

[Elaine888]

Well I went to GP yesterday. Bloody useless, hardly bothered and just organised for me to have a scan and said yeh it's going to take time to heal.