title: A review of perioperative anaphylaxis at a Singapore tertiary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perioperative anaphylaxis is an anaesthetic emergency, but its incidence is not well described in the local literature. This retrospective study aims to look at a group of patients who had perioperative anaphylaxis in our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of electronic databases and clinical case sheets, and identified 34 patients who had possible perioperative anaphylaxis during anaesthesia in our institution between 1 January 2007 and 30 April 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After reviewing clinical and biochemical data, we found that 16 out of 151,876 patients who underwent surgery had confirmed perioperative anaphylaxis, an incidence of 1:10,000. Neuromuscular blockers were identified as the most common causative agent for perioperative anaphylaxis. The offending agent could not be identified in seven patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Southeast Asia on the incidence of perioperative anaphylaxis. Having a preoperative history of allergy did not seem to predispose patients to the subsequent development of perioperative anaphylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Xuanxuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Sze Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Thong
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yong Yeow
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shin Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059035:Perioperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: allergy; anaphylaxis; perioperative