Intravenous Hydrocortisone in the Treatment of a Severe Urographic Reaction

Abstract

Severe reactions following the intravenous injection of contrast medium for urography are uncommon. In surveys of fatal reactions carried out in the United States of America from 1942 to 1956, Pendergrass, Tordreau, Pendergrass, Ritchie, Hildreth and Askovitz (1958) found that the incidence of immediate fatalities was 8·6 per million urographic examinations. They defined immediate reactions as those occurring within one hour of the injection. The incidence of non-fatal severe reactions is unknown. This communication describes a very severe vaso-motor reaction with recovery following intravenous hydrocortisone.