%N 1
%V 6
%A Ian C Simcock
%A Susan C Shelmerdine
%A John Ciaran Hutchinson
%A Neil J Sebire
%A Owen J Arthurs
%T Body weight-based iodinated contrast immersion timing for human fetal postmortem microfocus computed tomography
%D 2023
%L discovery10185743
%J BJR|Open
%K Micro-CT, fetal, potassium tri-iodide, immersion time
%I Oxford University Press (OUP)
%O This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images
or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license,
unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license,
users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this
license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
%X Objectives


                  The aim of this study was to evaluate the length of time required to achieve full iodination using potassium tri-iodide as a contrast agent, prior to human fetal postmortem microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging.


               
               
                  Methods


                  Prospective assessment of optimal contrast iodination was conducted across 157 human fetuses (postmortem weight range 2-298 g; gestational age range 12-37 weeks), following micro-CT imaging. Simple linear regression was conducted to analyse which fetal demographic factors could produce the most accurate estimate for optimal iodination time.


               
               
                  Results


                  Postmortem body weight (r2 = 0.6435) was better correlated with iodination time than gestational age (r2 = 0.1384), producing a line of best fit, y = [0.0304 × body weight (g)] − 2.2103. This can be simplified for clinical use whereby immersion time (days) = [0.03 × body weight (g)] − 2.2. Using this formula, for example, a 100-g fetus would take 5.2 days to reach optimal contrast enhancement.


               
               
                  Conclusions


                  The simplified equation can now be used to provide estimation times for fetal contrast preparation time prior to micro-CT imaging and can be used to manage service throughput and parental expectation for return of their fetus.


               
               
                  Advances in knowledge


                  A simple equation from empirical data can now be used to estimate preparation time for human fetal postmortem micro-CT imaging.