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Temperature Excursion of Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Agents During Home Storage.
Inès Ben Ghezala1,2, Laure-Anne Steinberg1, Maxime Sibert1
1Ophthalmology Department, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France.
JAMA Ophthalmology
|January 17, 2025
Summary
Many patients fail to properly store anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents at home, risking thermal instability. Education on maintaining cold storage is crucial for preventing potential complications from intravitreal injections.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pharmacology
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents require refrigeration to prevent degradation.
- Patient self-transport and storage of anti-VEGF agents may lead to thermal instability.
- Reported intraocular inflammation after intravitreal injections (IVT) may be linked to improper storage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess patient adherence to cold storage guidelines for anti-VEGF agents.
- To identify the frequency of temperature excursions during home storage of anti-VEGF agents.
Main Methods:
- A quality improvement study was conducted at Dijon University Hospital.
- Participants received time-temperature indicators to monitor anti-VEGF agent storage.
- Indicators tracked exposure above 8 °C for different durations.
Main Results:
- All 38 participants with analyzable indicators experienced temperature excursions above 8 °C.
- 28.9% of participants had excursions lasting 48 hours or longer.
- No ocular adverse effects related to inflammation were observed post-injection.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of patients do not maintain proper cold storage for anti-VEGF agents.
- Patient education on cold chain maintenance is essential.
- Further research is needed to correlate storage excursions with clinical outcomes.
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