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Anaphylactic Shock During Pediatric Anesthesia: An Unexpected Reaction to Sevoflurane

Alessandro Simonini1, Etrusca Brogi2, Brunella Gily3

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|September 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Anaphylactic shock in a child was linked to Sevoflurane, a common inhalational anesthetic. This case highlights the potential for volatile anesthetics to trigger severe allergic reactions, previously undocumented.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Immunology
  • Allergy

Background:

  • Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction, commonly associated with muscle relaxants, latex, and antibiotics during general anesthesia.
  • Documented cases of anaphylaxis specifically triggered by inhalational anesthetic agents are notably absent in medical literature.

Observation:

  • A 6-year-old child experienced anaphylactic shock during adenotonsillectomy under general anesthesia.
  • The patient exhibited a positive allergic reaction to Sevoflurane during post-operative testing, while three control subjects showed no reaction.

Findings:

  • This case presents the first documented instance of anaphylaxis caused by Sevoflurane, a widely used volatile anesthetic.
  • Allergic testing confirmed Sevoflurane as the specific trigger for the anaphylactic reaction in the pediatric patient.

Implications:

  • The findings suggest that volatile anesthetics, including Sevoflurane, should be considered potential triggers for anaphylaxis.
  • This report underscores the importance of comprehensive diagnostic evaluation for unexpected anaphylactic reactions during anesthesia.
  • Further research is warranted to investigate the prevalence and mechanisms of Sevoflurane-induced anaphylaxis.

Keywords:
Sevofluraneallergyanaphylactic shockanaphylaxispediatric anesthesiaperioperative complications

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