FeMRI Can Detect GI Bleeding Sites

Background: The management of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding can be challenging, since diagnostic testing is often negative. Originally, ferumoxytol was developed to be a contrast agent for MRI. However, it was also found to be useful for iron replacement therapy for which it received approval of the Food and Drug Administration. Because of its long half-life, ferumoxytol has been used off label for MRI to detect the source of GI bleeding. Objective: To determine whether ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI (FeMRI) could accurately detect the source of GI bleeding. Design: Retrospective review. Methods: Patients who had underwent FeMRI were included. These patients had also undergone extensive evaluation by other methods, including endoscopy and imaging studies. For the FeMRI, they underwent a bowel preparation to cleanse the colon of the potentially confounding high T1 signal from the stool. Immediately prior to the ferumoxytol administration, 500 mL of normal saline over 30 minut more...