Hypaque 76 is a radiopaque contrast agent supplied as a 76 percent sterile aqueous solution providing 66 percent (w/v) diatrizoate meglumine and 10 percent (w/v) diatrizoate sodium.

GE Healthcare has discontinued Hypaque 76 for unknown reasons.

Hypaque Meglumine is an ionic contrast agent. Hypaque Meglumine 60 percent (w/v) is an aqueous solution containing 60 g of the meglumine salt of diatrizoic acid per 100 mL of solution.
The degree of contrast enhancement at computed tomography is directly related to the amount of iodine administered. In adults the amount of iodine usually required for contrast enhancement ranges from 28 to 42 g.
Hypaque Meglumine is also available in concentrations of 18% and 30%.

Hypaque Sodium is a high-osmolar, water-soluble contrast agent. In pure form, it contains 59.87 percent organically bound iodine.
The dosage of contrast media is depended on the type of radiological procedure and should be tailored individually according to age, body size, and indication for examination.

Patents can unintended respond with an idiosyncratic reaction to the application of contrast media. Idiosyncratic reactions to contrast agents start usually within 20 minutes after injection and occur more frequently in patients 20 to 40 years old.
Idiosyncratic reactions may or may not be dependent on the amount of dose injected, the speed of injection, the mode of injection and the radiographic procedure.


See also Adverse Reaction and Anaphylactoid Reaction.

Image quality is an important value of all radiographic imaging procedures. Accurate measures of both image quality and patient radiation risk are needed for effective optimization of diagnostic imaging. Images are acquired for specific purposes, and the result depends on how well this task is performed. The imaging performance is mainly influenced by the imaging procedure, examined object, contrast agents, imaging system, electronic data processing, display, maintenance and the operator. Spatial resolution (sharpness), contrast resolution and sensitivity, artifacts and noise are indicators of image quality.
A high image contrast provides the discrimination between tissues of different densities.
The image resolution states the distinct visibility of linear structures, masses and calcifications.
Noise and artifacts degrade the image quality. In computed tomography (CT), high spatial resolution improves the visibility of small details, but results in increased noise. Increased noise reduces the low contrast detectability. Noise can be reduced by the use of large voxels, increased radiation dose, or an additional smoothing filter, but this type of filter increases blurring.
An image acquisition technique taking these facts into account maximizes the received information content and minimizes the radiation risk or keeps it at a low level.

See also As Low As Reasonably Achievable.