WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Respiratory Reactions
Caution should be exercised in patients with a history of allergy or bronchial asthma. An emergency tray should always be available.
If a potential allergy is suspected, an intradermal skin test may be performed prior to intravenous administration, i.e., 0.05 mL injected intradermally to be evaluated 30 to 60 minutes following injection. Given the sensitivity and specificity of skin testing, a negative skin test is not proof that a patient is not allergic to fluorescein.
Severe local tissue damage
Extravasation during injection can result in severe local tissue damage due to high pH of fluorescein solution. The following complications resulting from extravasation of fluorescein have been noted to occur: Sloughing of the skin, superficial phlebitis, subcutaneous granuloma, and toxic neuritis along the median nerve in the antecubital area. Complications resulting from extravasation can cause severe pain in the arm for up to several hours. When extravasation occurs, the injection should be discontinued and conservative measures to treat damaged tissue and to relieve pain should be implemented. [see
Administration
and
Adverse Reactions
].
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category C. Adequate animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with fluorescein sodium. It is also not known whether fluorescein sodium can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Fluorescein sodium should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Nursing Mothers
Fluorescein sodium has been demonstrated to be excreted in human milk. Caution should be exercised when fluorescein sodium is administered to a nursing woman.
Pediatric Use
Pediatric patients have been included in clinical studies. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness have been observed between pediatric and adult patients.
Geriatric Use
No overall differences in safety or effectiveness have been observed between elderly and other adult patients.
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