2025/12/13 by Panu Uusalo, Ronja Kuuskoski · 1 voice
Medicine · #Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research #Drug-Induced Adverse Reactions #Nausea and vomiting management
paper · doi:10.1093/bjs/znaf287
openalex publication_date 2025/12/13 · openalex created_date 2026/01/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/18
Anaphylaxis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of anaesthesia and surgery. The reported incidence ranges from 1 in 3000 to 1 in 20 000 anaesthetics, with case-fatality rates of approximately 3.8–4.0%1,2. Recognition in the operating theatre is challenging, as cutaneous signs are often obscured and anaesthesia may blunt compensatory responses such as tachycardia. Although anaphylaxis typically causes hypotension, anaesthetic agents and surgical blood loss can aggravate or mimic this presentation. Consequently, perioperative anaphylaxis remains a major patient safety concern, underscoring the need for all theatre professionals to recognize the condition and initiate immediate treatment3. The epidemiology of perioperative anaphylaxis has been best characterized by large registry studies, most notably the UK National Audit Project 6 (NAP6). In the NAP6 cohort, antibiotics (most commonly teicoplanin, penicillins, vancomycin, cefuroxime) were the leading cause (47.2%), followed by neuromuscular blocking agents (for example suxamethonium and rocuronium) (32.6%), chlorhexidine (9.0%), dyes such as Patent Blue (4.5%), and latex (<1%)1. Similar data from other countries demonstrate geographical variation, reflecting differences in practice patterns and drug use2,4.