We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Medicine

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is an Anesthetic Allergy?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 13,332
Share

An anesthetic allergy is an adverse reaction to drugs used to induce sedation and analgesia. Patients develop an allergy when the immune system mistakes the medication as something dangerous that it needs to attack. Specialized cells learn to recognize the proteins in the anesthetic agent and activate when patients are exposed again. They can cause symptoms ranging from a mild rash and itching with a local anesthetic to anaphylaxis in a patient under general anesthesia.

There are some potential risk factors for anesthetic allergy that a health care provider can identify in a preanesthetic screening. These can include family history as well of a personal history of problems with anesthetics. Patients who report symptoms like numbing, tingling, redness, and welts around the site of a local or regional anesthetic, for example, may have an allergy. Likewise, if a patient’s history indicates problems while under general anesthesia, like remaining unstable in routine cases that shouldn’t cause problems, there may be a risk of a bad reaction.

Numerous anesthesia products are available and a patient with an allergy to one class of drugs may safely be able to take others. People should make sure anesthetic allergy information is noted on their chart and can also talk to medical practitioners before procedures to make sure they use safe medications. If someone had a bad reaction to lidocaine in the past, for example, this should be mentioned before receiving sutures for a laceration. Patients can also ask questions about the anesthetics being used and their dosage if they have concerns.

Dealing with anesthetic allergies depends on the situation. With local anesthetics, the drug often wears off quickly when not renewed, so the practitioner can stop administering medication to allow the patient to recover. For regional anesthesia, nerve blocks, or extreme reactions to local anesthetic, it may be necessary to administer a reversing agent. Patients can also receive injections of adrenaline, when appropriate, if they become unstable.

People under general anesthesia can go into crisis if they develop anaphylaxis. Anesthesia staff monitor them closely for signs of anesthetic allergy so they can promptly administer drugs to reverse the anesthetic and stabilize the patient. Some people are also at risk of a rare condition called malignant hyperthermia, where anesthesia agents cause the body temperature to rise very rapidly. This is not an anesthetic allergy, but a genetic condition that makes it difficult to metabolize anesthetic agents. If there is a family history of this condition or the need for cooling blankets and ice after surgery, instability during general anesthesia, or dark urine after surgery with no known cause, patients may be at risk.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-an-anesthetic-allergy.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.