The Use of Fluorescein Angiography to Study Oxygen Toxicity
Abstract
Exposure to high levels of oxygen is a stress frequently encountered by divers breathing air at depth. Since the consequences of oxygen poisoning can be incapacitating and even lethal, it is important to monitor the health of any diver being subjected to unusual conditions that incur the danger of oxygen toxicity. This paper reports on preliminary tests of a new technique for monitoring oxygen toxicity, that of fluorescein angiography. The technique involves injecting a harmless fluorescein dye into an individual's vein and immediately taking photographs of the retina; the dye can be seen in the photographs as it flows through the retinal vascular system. The suggestion is that the pulmonary edema and exudates of the lung, a common result of oxygen toxicity, have their counterpart in leakages and hemorrhages of the blood vessels of the eye and that these leakages can be seen in the fluorescein pictures. This suggestion was tested by taking fluorescein angiograms of squirrel monkeys who were subjected to 100% oxygen for periods of 2 to 5 days. The monkeys did incur retinal damage which could be seen as the accumulation of dye in the retina. The monkeys survived the exposure and returned to normal within two weeks after the oxygen exposure. The technique thus appears promising for monitoring exposure to oxygen poisoning since individuals can be removed from the oxygen before permanent damage occurs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA049643
Entities
People
- Christine L. McKay
- Jo Ann S. Kinney
- Robert A. Gordon
Organizations
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory