Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42437959›Full record

ArticleEcho research and practice2026

Reported safety events from ultrasound enhancing agents: a critical reappraisal.

Jordan B Strom, Nicholas Spetko, Constance E M Angell-James, Madeline A Cassidy, Jessica L Stout, Morgan L Winburn, Rebecca Lee, Alecia Bradley, Kevin Moreau, Venkateshwar Polsani and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Echo research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jordan B StromDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 375 Longwood Avenue, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. jstrom@bidmc.harvard.edu.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6592-6141
Nicholas SpetkoDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 375 Longwood Avenue, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Constance E M Angell-JamesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Madeline A CassidyHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Jessica L StoutDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 375 Longwood Avenue, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Morgan L WinburnDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 375 Longwood Avenue, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Rebecca LeeDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
Alecia BradleyPiedmont Hospital System, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Kevin MoreauPiedmont Hospital System, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Venkateshwar PolsaniPiedmont Hospital System, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Cosby A StoneDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.

Funding

Chronic Renal Insufficiency and Silent Progression of Aortic Stenosis (CRISP-AS)R01HL169517 · NHLBI · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Jordan Blair Strom · 2023 to 2026
$3.1M
NHLBI NIH HHS 1R01HL169517NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL169517NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL1605
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReported adverse events (AEs) to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) have suggested an increased rate of serious AEs (SAEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the extent to which this may be related to overall changes in reporting during this time period is uncertain. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate trends in SAE reporting across commercially available ultrasound enhancing agent (UEA) brands as a function of overall trends in AE reporting.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed the FAERS public database, 2014-2024, to evaluate risks of UEAs overall and by brand, compared to similar contrast media.

resultsBetween 2014 and 2024, 21,960,760 AEs were reported to FAERS, of which 11,450,891 (52.1%) were categorized as SAEs. Overall SAE reports to FAERS increased from 678,953 in 2014 to 1,368,393 in 2021 before subsequently declining to 1,065,845 in 2024 (-7.9% change from 2021 to 2024). During the same period, overall death reports to FAERS increased from 124,055 in 2014 to 195,207 in 2018 before declining to 147,046 in 2024. During this period of decline, there was a 23.9% relative increase in SAEs to UEAs which peaked in 2023 at 350 before declining to 326 in 2024. Deaths attributed to SAEs increased from 1 in 2014 to 19 in 2023 before declining to 9 in 2024. Overall, these data suggest that 11.2% of the observed increase in SAEs to UEAs can be attributed to reporting changes. Despite changes in relative risks for SAEs, absolute SAE rates remained small and lower than other types of contrast media.

conclusionsIn this analysis of the FAERS dataset, 2014-2024, 11.2% of SAEs to UEAs were attributable to temporal changes in AE reporting. Absolute risks are small and declining, suggesting broad safety of UEAs as a class. Collectively, these results support continued use of UEAs, but motivate improved safety screening and preparedness to mitigate small but existing risks.

Indexed as

SafetyUltrasound enhancing agents

Identifiers

PMID42437959
PMCPMC13360243

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.