Anaphylaxis during caesarean section in a patient with undiagnosed placenta accreta: it never rains but it pours!

E A Harrison1, S M Yentis, A M Bennett

  • 1Magill Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.

Published guidelines exist for the management and investigation of suspected anaphylactic reactions associated with anaesthesia. We report a woman who had a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction during caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia, complicated by undiagnosed placenta accreta. We discuss the particular problems of the case and the practical difficulties of testing survivors of anaphylaxis: despite following the recommendations, we have been unable to identify the cause.

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