Adverse reactions during retinal fluorescein angiography

Fast sequence retinal fluorescein angiography is a commonly employed diagnostic procedure within the optometric practice with relatively few serious adverse reactions. A retrospective study was conducted to document the incidence of adverse reactions with this procedure.

A total of 1,173 patient charts who had undergone intravenous injection for retinal fluorescein angiography at a specility referral clinic or a referral clinic at a school of optometry. All patients had been intra-venously injected with 500 mg of sodium fluorescein in 25% or 10% solution. Adverse reactions were noted within the charts.

The most common adverse reaction were nausea (.8% of patients) and urticaria (.6% of patients), with other reactions including emesis and hypoglycemia. Extravasation of dye was noted in .2% of patients. No acute anaphylaxis was noted.

Fast sequence retinal fluorescein angiography is a relatively safe diagnostic test. However, one should be prepared to handle acute anaphylaxis within the office before administering the test because of previously published cases of life-threatening reactions.