Hyaluronidase Availability in Emergency Rooms: A Statewide Analysis

Objective: Authors sought to determine the immediate availability of hyaluronidase (HYAL) among emergency rooms (ERs) in California. Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are regarded as a safe procedure; however, major ischemic complications do exist, notably blindness and tissue necrosis. The successful management of these vascular events relies on an injector's immediate HYAL, the enzymatic reversal agent for HA. Unfortunately, many barriers exist for injector sites to stock HYAL. As a result, ERs serve as unofficial safety nets in cases when providers encounter an ischemic complication and do not have HYAL in supply. Materials and Methods: Telephone survey inquiring about HYAL availability in all California ERs. Results: This study included 330 California ERs and achieved an 89.7% response rate (n = 296). 45.6% of the surveyed ERs did not have immediate access to HYAL. HYAL availability was positively associated with level I-III adult trauma center status, pediatric trauma center status, children's hospital status, higher bed counts, and regional geography (p < 0.05, all). Conclusions: HYAL availability is unreliable among Californian ERs, posing a potential risk to patient safety.