Latex allergy: diagnostic pitfalls

A 44-year-old woman, native of Martinique, with a history of multiple aller gies and severe asthma, sustained an unexplained cardiovascular collapse du ring surgery under general anaesthesia. The patient recovered normally. Pos toperatively, neither additional explorations were undertaken nor informati ons given to the patient. Later on she had to undergo cholecystectomy. Data obtained from preanaesthetic assessment (history, analysis of medical file s) were in favour of a past intraoperative allergic accident. Allergologica l tests confirmed a latex allergy. This case substantiates the importance o f a careful preanaesthetic consideration of patient's history and the value of a systematic allergologic exploration after an unexplained intraoperati ve event compatible with an: anaphylactoid reaction. All such events should be clearly explained and a written document handed to the patient. (C) 199 9 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.