Anaphylactic reactions during general anesthesia among pediatric patients--United States, January 1990-January 1991

From March 1990 through January 1991, nine patients at one children's hospital in Wisconsin (hospital A) had onset of anaphylactic reactions (ARs) within 30 minutes following the start of general anesthesia; no patient had had a surgical incision at the time of their reaction. Eight of these patients required admission to the intensive care unit for supportive care. To determine the extent and potential source of the problem, an epidemiologic investigation was conducted at hospital A.