Frequency of adverse systemic reactions after fluorescein angiography. Results of a prospective study.
Intravenous fluorescein angiography is a commonly performed and extraordinarily valuable diagnostic procedure. The frequency of adverse reactions after angiography has varied considerably in previous reports. In a prospective study of 2789 angiographic procedures in 2025 patients, the authors found that the percentage of adverse reactions depended strongly on the patient's angiographic history. Overall, adverse reactions followed 4.8% of the angiographic procedures. These reactions included nausea (2.9%), vomiting (1.2%), flushing/itching/hives (0.5%), and other reactions (dyspnea, syncope, excessive sneezing) (0.2%). No cases of anaphylaxis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary edema, or seizures occurred. The percentage of reactions was 1.8% for patients who had had previous angiography without ever having had an adverse reaction. In contrast, the percentage of reactions was 48.6% for patients who had had an adverse reaction to angiography previously.
Kwiterovich
K A
KA
Retinal Vascular Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore.
Maguire
M G
MG
Murphy
R P
RP
Schachat
A P
AP
Bressler
N M
NM
Bressler
S B
SB
Fine
S L
SL
D019793:Fluorescein; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
D005452:Fluoresceins; D019793:Fluorescein