title: OUTCOMES OF AN INTRAVITREAL INJECTION CLINIC.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the safety outcomes of an intravitreal injection-only clinic where patients needing long-term anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy are treated with injections at a predetermined interval for a set number of injections without an accompanying clinic visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective chart review of all patients with exudative macular degeneration treated in an intravitreal injection clinic over a 4-year period. Data on the outcome measures of interest were gathered from electronic medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 556 patients who received 4,386 injections in the injection-only clinic in a total of 1,524 injection cycles. One hundred six cycles were interrupted. The most common causes for interruption were decreased vision in the injected eye (32), decreased vision in the fellow eye (23), flashing lights (6), pain (5), and irritation in the noninjected eye (2). Of patients who had interruption of the cycle, 32 had a new diagnosis (6 corneal abrasions, 6 exudative age-related macular degeneration in fellow eye). There were six instances of conversion to exudative age-related macular degeneration found in the other eye at a routine follow-up visit following the injection clinic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An injection-only clinic may provide a reasonable approach to streamline retina practices to ensure that patients receive timely injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.forename: Ahmed F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iezzi
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barkmeier
authors.forename: Sophie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bakri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab