Allergic reactions to anesthesia

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Medical condition

Anesthesia hypersensitivity

Topical hypersensitivity reaction from topical anesthesia
Specialty	Anesthesiology
Symptoms	Low blood pressure, hives, wheezing, swelling
Diagnostic method	Clinical diagnosis
Treatment	Epinephrine, withdrawal of offending agent, airway management
Frequency	1 in 10,000 procedures

The incidence of life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions occurring during surgery and anesthesia is around one in 10,000 procedures. Severe allergic reactions to anesthetic medications are rare and are usually attributable to factors other than the anesthetic. Neuromuscular blocking agents, natural rubber latex, and antibiotics are the most common causes of serious allergic reactions during surgery. The mortality rate from these reactions ranges between 3-9%.

Successful immediate treatment requires prompt recognition by the attending anesthetist, or in the US, the attending anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist. Anesthetists are trained to recognise if an allergic reaction is occurring. The identification of a complication is made by the recognition of issues such as low blood pressure, hives, wheezing, rash, swelling around the eyes or in the mouth and throat and other breathing difficulties. Adrenaline (epinephrine) remains the mainstay of treatment, with corticosteroids and antihistamines providing limited benefit in the acute situation.

Subsequent investigation aims to determine the responsible agent to allow its future avoidance. Skin testing is often useful to identify potentially cross-reactive compounds and appropriate therapeutic alternatives. This is done weeks after the initial reaction to allow the immune system to reset itself. However, skin testing can be misleading in giving false positive and false negative results.

Anaphylaxis during anesthesia

Although complications during anesthesia are rare, potentially life-threatening consequences may occur if an anaphylactic reaction develops. The severity of the reaction whilst under anesthesia is because the anesthetist is only made aware of the allergy when it is severe enough to compromise the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. At this stage, there is little time to manage the situation and recognise the severity of the condition.

The immediate management of the issue consists of three processes:

The withdrawal of the substances
Interrupting the effects of the preformed substances released in response to toxin presentation
Prevention of further substance release

Since the full withdrawal of the offending substance is near impossible, the administration of adrenaline is the main treatment to counteract the effects. Once the patient is stable they will need close observation for 24 hours.

References

Mertes, P. M.; Tajima, K.; Regnier-Kimmoun, M. A.; Lambert, M.; Iohom, G.; Guéant-Rodriguez, R. M.; Malinovsky, J. M. (2010-07-01). "Perioperative anaphylaxis". The Medical Clinics of North America. 94 (4): 761–789, xi. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2010.04.002. ISSN 1557-9859. PMID 20609862.
Hepner DL, Castells MC (2003). "Anaphylaxis during the perioperative period". Anesthesia and Analgesia. 97 (5): 1381–95. doi:10.1213/01.ANE.0000082993.84883.7D. PMID 14570656. S2CID 18214065.
"World Allergy Organization". www.worldallergy.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
"Possible complications | All About Anaesthesia". allaboutanaesthesia.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
^ Dippenaar, JM (March 2015). "Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis During Anaesthesia" (PDF). Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

v t e Anesthesia and anesthesiology
Types	General Sedation Procedural sedation and analgesia Twilight anesthesia Local Continuous wound infiltration Topical Neuraxial blockade Combined spinal and epidural anaesthesia Epidural anesthesia Spinal anaesthesia Nerve block Brachial plexus block Fascia iliaca block Femoral nerve block Inferior alveolar nerve block Intercostal nerve block Interpleural block Intravenous regional anesthesia Occipital nerve block Paracervical block Pudendal nerve block Retrobulbar block Sciatic nerve block Transverse abdominis plane block Total intravenous anaesthesia
Pharmacologic agents	Anticholinergics Antiemetics Butyrophenones Benzodiazepines General anesthetics Inhalational anesthetics Local anesthetics Neuromuscular-blocking drugs Opioids Sedatives
Techniques	Airway management Anesthesia provision in the US Bronchoscopy Dogliotti's principle Intravenous therapy Laryngoscopy Tracheal intubation Rapid sequence induction
Scientific principles	Blood–gas partition coefficient Concentration effect Fink effect Minimum alveolar concentration Second gas effect
Measurements	ASA physical status classification system Baricity Bispectral index Body mass index Capnography Entropy monitoring Fick principle Goldman index Guedel's classification Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring Mallampati score Neuromuscular monitoring Pain scale Thyromental distance
Instruments	Anaesthetic machine Anesthetic vaporizer Arterial catheter Bronchial blocker Double-lumen endobronchial tube Gas cylinder Laryngeal mask airway Laryngeal tube Magill forceps Relative analgesia machine Tracheal tube
Complications	Allergic reactions Anesthesia awareness Drug-induced amnesia Effects of early-life exposures to anesthesia on the brain Emergence delirium Local anesthetic toxicity Malignant hyperthermia Perioperative mortality Postanesthetic shivering Postoperative nausea and vomiting Postoperative residual curarization
Subspecialties	Cardiothoracic Critical emergency medicine Geriatric Intensive care medicine Obstetric Oral sedation dentistry Pain medicine
Professions	Anesthesiologist Anesthesiologist assistant Nurse anesthetist Operating department practitioners Certified anesthesia technician Certified anesthesia technologist Anaesthetic technician Physicians' assistant (anaesthesia)
History	ACE mixture Helsinki Declaration for Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology History of general anesthesia History of neuraxial anesthesia History of tracheal intubation
Organizations	American Association of Nurse Anesthetists American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians American Society of Anesthesiologists Anaesthesia Trauma and Critical Care Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland Royal College of Anaesthetists Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Australian Society of Anaesthetists International Anesthesia Research Society European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
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