Anaphylactic shock caused by an intradermal skin test-negative antibiotic during general anesthesia -A case report-

Hypersensitivity Reaction to Perioperative Drug Mistaken for Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity in a Patient under Brachial Plexus Block

Perioperative anaphylaxis, although rare, is a severe, life-threatening unexpected systemic hypersensitivity reaction. Simultaneous administration of various drugs during anesthesia, the difficulty of communicate with patients in sedation and anesthesia, and coverage of the patient with surgical drapes are considered to be factors that impede early recognition of anaphylactic reactions. It is very important to perform an intradermal skin test because antibiotics are the most common cause of perioperative anaphylaxis. We report a case of negative-intradermal skin test antibiotic anaphylaxis mistaken for local aesthetic systemic toxicity without increase of serum tryptase for confirmative diagnostic biomaker during surgery under brachial plexus block. It is not possible to exclude the danger of anaphylaxis completely, even if it is negative-intradermal skin test and normal tryptase level. Therefore, anesthesiologists should be closely monitored and treated early for antibiotics related hypersensitive reaction, like other medicines during anesthesia.

Anaphylaxis occurred immediately after prophylactic antibiotics injection with negative intradermal skin test during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Prophylactic antibiotics that are used to prevent post-operative infection can commonly cause anaphylactic reactions during anesthesia. It is therefore necessary to perform a skin test before antibiotics are administered in order to diagnose and prevent anaphylactic reactions. However, the results of the antibiotic skin test can differ according to the drug, dose, and reagent concentration. We report a case of anaphylactic shock with bronchospasm and cardiovascular collapse immediately following administration of the prophylactic cefazedone after induction of general anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.