[Acute angle-closure glaucoma resulting from treatment with nebulised bronchodilators]

A 78-year-old woman, with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways disease, was treated with nebulised ipratropium bromide and salbutamol. Twenty hours after beginning this treatment, she developed acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) in her left eye which resolved rapidly with appropriate treatment.

Nebulised ipratropium bromide and salbutamol increases the intraocular pressure and may cause an AACG in susceptible patients (those with a shallow anterior chamber, hypermetropia, or chronic angle-closure glaucoma). Increased vigilance in such patients treated with these bronchodilators may avoid this adverse effect. Ensuring the mask is correctly fitted, using a T-piece or unvented nebuliser and protective eye wear, are some of the many recommendations made to minimize the development of AACG in these patients.