IN THE UK, THE USUAL DOSE AS AN ADJUNCT TO SUBCUTANEOUS OR INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION IS 1500 UNITS, ADDED DIRECTLY TO THE INJECTION. TO AID THE DISPERSAL OF EXTRAVASATED FLUIDS OR BLOOD, THE SAME DOSE IS GIVEN IN 1 ML OF WATER FOR INJECTIONS OR 0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE INTO THE AFFECTED AREA. LOWER DOSES OF HYALURONIDASE ARE USED IN SOME COUNTRIES; IN THE USA, THE USUAL DOSE IS 150 UNITS.
IN HYPODERMOCLYSIS, HYALURONIDASE IS USED TO AID THE SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF RELATIVELY LARGE VOLUMES OF FLUIDS, ESPECIALLY IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN, WHERE INTRAVENOUS INJECTION IS DIFFICULT. CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN IN THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY TO CONTROL THE SPEED AND TOTAL VOLUME GIVEN AND TO AVOID OVERHYDRATION. HYALURONIDASE MAY BE ADDED TO THE INJECTION FLUID OR MAY BE INJECTED INTO THE SITE BEFORE THE FLUID IS GIVEN. IN THE UK, 1500 UNITS OF HYALURONIDASE IS GENERALLY GIVEN WITH EACH 500 TO 1000 ML OF FLUID FOR SUBCUTANEOUS USE, BUT IN THE USA, 150 UNITS OF HYALURONIDASE IS CONSIDERED ADEQUATE FOR EACH LITRE OF HYPODERMOCLYSIS SOLUTION.
THE DIFFUSION OF LOCAL ANAESTHETICS IS ACCELERATED BY THE ADDITION OF 1500 UNITS (IN THE USA, 150 UNITS) OF HYALURONIDASE TO THE ANAESTHETIC SOLUTION. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED IN OPHTHALMOLOGY AS AN AID TO LOCAL ANAESTHESIA AT RECOMMENDED DOSES OF 15 UNITS/ML OF LOCAL ANAESTHETIC SOLUTION. HYALURONIDASE HAS ALSO BEEN USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF VITREOUS HAEMORRHAGE AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY.