Intravenous fluorescein angiography resulted in adverse systemic reactions in 4.8% of procedures, with rates highly dependent on prior reaction history (1.8% vs 48.6%).
Cohort (n=2,025)
What is the frequency of adverse systemic reactions after intravenous fluorescein angiography?
Adverse reactions to intravenous fluorescein angiography are generally mild and occur in 4.8% of procedures, but the risk is highly dependent on the patient's prior angiographic history.
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 et al. (1991) conducted a cohort in Patients undergoing intravenous fluorescein angiography (n=2,025). Intravenous fluorescein angiography was evaluated on Adverse systemic reactions. Intravenous fluorescein angiography resulted in adverse systemic reactions in 4.8% of procedures, with rates highly dependent on prior reaction history (1.8% vs 48.6%).