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Letter to the Editor
Immunological investigations following an adverse reaction to oxybuprocaine eye drops
  1. W A C SEWELL
  1. Department of Immunology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF
  2. Medicine for the Elderly, Phillip Arnold Unit, Poole Hospital, Dorset
  3. Department of Immunology, Churchill Hospital
  4. Oxford OX3 7LJ
  1. J J CROUCHER
  1. Department of Immunology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF
  2. Medicine for the Elderly, Phillip Arnold Unit, Poole Hospital, Dorset
  3. Department of Immunology, Churchill Hospital
  4. Oxford OX3 7LJ
  1. A G BIRD
  1. Department of Immunology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF
  2. Medicine for the Elderly, Phillip Arnold Unit, Poole Hospital, Dorset
  3. Department of Immunology, Churchill Hospital
  4. Oxford OX3 7LJ
  1. Dr Sewell.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.83.5.628f

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    Editor,—In 1990, a case of severe bradycardia following exposure to oxybuprocaine eye drops was reported.1 No mechanism was identified but the reaction was assumed to be anaphylactic or secondary to rapid anaesthetic absorption. We report a similar case of a life threatening reaction.

    CASE REPORT

    A 29 year old man attended his optician for routine tonometry. Following instillation of 0.4% oxybuprocaine eye drops (Benoxinate, Chauvin Pharmaceuticals) his vision “went white” within 1 minute with a subjective sensation of throat swelling, followed by collapse and loss of consciousness. His wife, a medical doctor, noted no respiration and a carotid pulse of 12 beats/min. There was some swelling of the soft tissues of the neck, but no lip oedema. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, and adrenaline 300 μg …

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