[Severe anaphylaxis from rocuronium]

Abstract

Muscle relaxant drugs are the most frequent cause of anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions during anaesthesia. We report a case of a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction during induction of anaesthesia with severe bronchospasm as the first clinical symptom. Mechanical ventilation was nearly impossible. The patient required a multimodal antiallergic therapy and a high-dose catecholamine therapy for stabilization. Rocuronium was identified as the allergic agent using intradermal testing.