[Severe anaphylactoid accidents occurring during general anesthesia].

Four patients were studied following an anaphylactoid accident occurring during general anaesthesia. Histamine release was assessed on clinical signs, basophil degranulation and, in one case, an early serum histamine peak. Past medical history revealed previous allergies in all cases. An immunological study showed that IgE, CH50, C3 and C4 serum levels were within the normal range. Skin reactivity to histamine was normal in all but one case. In every case, one of the drugs used during the anaesthetic gave a positive skin test and was considered as the causative agent. There were discrepancies between the in vitro and in vivo tests of basophil degranulation, a second drug being positive in one case, and several drugs inducing abnormal degranulation reactions in the other cases. The drugs considered as involved in these accidents are noteworthy: suxamethonium (two cases), fluid gelatin (Plasmion) and droperidol. The results are discussed by the authors.