[Allergic reaction during anesthesia: two case reports].

We experienced two cases of serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. The first patient was a 28-year-old male patient scheduled for surgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformations and another patient was a 66-year-old male patient scheduled for hepatic resection. After uneventful anesthetic induction, anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane, air and oxygen. Both patients developed allergic reactions characterized by cardiovascular failure during anesthesia. Resuscitative treatment included rapid fluid infusion, administration of adrenaline and steroid. Both patients were successfully resuscitated without any lasting sequelae. The causative agent in one of these cases was probably a prophylactically used antibiotic, while that of the other case was a reaction to latex. Both patients showed elevated histamine and tryptase concentrations in blood samples. Recently, the incidence of allergic reactions to antibiotics and latex during anesthesia is increasing. Anesthesiologists should, therefore, be aware of the possibility of allergic reactions to all drugs and substances, especially to latex, during the perioperative period.