Recurrent perioperative anaphylaxis in a 54-year-old man

Reports suggest that perioperative anaphylaxis in patients undergoing general anesthesia range from 1 in 5000 to 1 in 20,000 with mortality rates as high as 9%. Because of the variety of medications that are used for general anesthesia and the rapid succession in which they are administered, it is often difficult to determine the etiology of a severe allergic episode in this setting. Antibiotics and anesthetics are notorious for precipitating allergic reactions and are often implicated. Other perioperative exposures and patient risk factors must also be considered. In this article, we describe the case of a patient who exhibited recurrent anaphylaxis episodes while trying to undergo a vital cardiac surgery.