Anaphylaxis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anaphylaxis, including details on food allergies, diagnosis, treatment, causes.

Perioperative anaphylaxis from locally applied rifamycin SV and latex.

Ebo DG, Verheecke G, Bridts CH, Mertens CH, Stevens WJ

Department of Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, University Antwerp, Belgium.

A patient developed severe anaphylaxis during irrigation of a wound with rifamycin SV. The temporal relationship between application of rifamycin SV, the positive skin test and basophil activation test for rifamycin SV strongly supported diagnosis of anaphylaxis from the locally applied antibiotic. However, after operation the patient had two anaphylactic reactions with pruritus, urticaria and angio-oedema after routine care by a nurse, and these were probably caused by natural rubber latex. This case report has several messages. First, it is not widely appreciated that topically applied drugs and related compounds can elicit life-threatening anaphylaxis. Second, it illustrates patients can present with more than one allergy. Finally, it provides an opportunity to summarize the applications of flow cytometry-assisted quantification of in vitro activated basophils in diagnosing the cause of anaphylaxis during anaesthesia.

Published 15 May 2006 in Br J Anaesth, 96(6): 738-41.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Anaphylaxis Research Today. All Rights Reserved.