Allergic reaction after surgery?

Warns against being too carefree after an allergic reaction to anesthetics during surgery Dr. med. Julia Elisabeth Pickert, Section Spokesperson of the DGAKI Junior Members.

What can trigger an allergic reaction??

Almost anything used in surgery can trigger an allergic reaction. Common triggers are muscle relaxants (for necessary muscle relaxation), antibiotics and latex (natural rubber).

Allergic reaction after surgery: Have the allergy triggers determined!

If an allergic reaction occurs during anesthesia, it is treated immediately and documented in the surgical protocol.

However, patients often fail to visit an allergy center after surgery to find the trigger. “For future surgery, this poses a great risk,” says Dr. Pickert, “because repeated administration of the trigger or a similar drug may result in a new, perhaps more severe allergic reaction.

For this reason, all allergic reactions during anesthesia should be carefully evaluated at an allergy center. This minimizes the risk of recurrence of anaphylaxis during subsequent operations.”

There are also factors that increase the risk of allergic reactions during surgery. Allergy sufferers are particularly at risk if they are allergic to natural latex.

“Patients with a latex allergy often can’t tolerate avocados, bananas or kiwis,” explains Dr. Pickert, “if patients have observed allergic symptoms in themselves when eating tropical fruits, they should be sure to mention it during the pre-op interview”.