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While hypersensitivity reactions to UEAs are extremely rare, when they do occur, they must be recognized promptly and managed appropriately. Most hypersensitivity reactions will be both uncomfortable and alarming to patients, but fortunately most will be self-limiting. On rare occasions these reactions can be life-threatening and immediate recognition by echo lab staff will help ensure that patients are managed correctly, thus ensuring optimal outcomes.
Often patients undergoing echocardiography have pronounced symptomology of hypertension, arrythmias, atrial fibrillation, and/or shortness of breath. Sometimes these symptoms can mask a hypersensitivity reaction while paradoxically in other instances these types of symptomologies can be mistaken for a hypersensitivity reaction. Therefore, it is imperative that echo lab staff are capable of prescreening patients for possible risks for hypersensitivity reactions to UEAs and are fluent in differentiating hypersensitivity reactions from underlying cardiac symptomology and/or pathologies. In addition, all echo lab personnel need to become familiar with emergency protocols for managing patients with hypersensitivity reactions to UEAs.
