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Case Reports
. 2020 Aug 18;9(3):43.
doi: 10.3390/antib9030043.

Severe Intraoperative Anaphylaxis Related to Thymoglobulin during Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

Muhammad I Saeed  1 , Ryan D Nicklas  2 , Vikas Kumar  2 , Rajan Kapoor  3 , Imran Y Gani  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Severe Intraoperative Anaphylaxis Related to Thymoglobulin during Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

Muhammad I Saeed et al. Antibodies (Basel). .

Abstract

Anaphylaxis secondary to thymoglobulin (anti-thymocyte globulin) is a rare condition that can be life threatening. Thymoglobulin is a rabbit-derived T-cell depleting polyclonal immunoglobulin. It is commonly used for induction immunosuppression and/or for treatment of acute rejection in renal transplantation. We report a case of a living kidney transplant recipient who developed intraoperative anaphylactic shock secondary to thymoglobulin. The patient had a history of pet rabbit exposure. This case report highlights the importance of prompt identification and management of intraoperative anaphylaxis, which is key to a successful outcome. Induction immunosuppression selection based on patient characteristics is important. Communication between the anesthesia team and surgeons played a key role in stopping the donor surgery.

Keywords: anaphylactic shock; living donor kidney transplantation; rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intraoperative vital signs after administration of thymoglobulin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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