British journal of anaesthesia
-
The most common trigger for intraoperative anaphylaxis in Western Australia for the period 2014-5 was an antibiotic used for surgical prophylaxis, cefazolin. In these patients who subsequently present for surgery, alternative cephalosporins are forbidden by current guidelines because of concerns regarding an increased risk of anaphylaxis. However, consideration of the structure-activity relationships relevant to anaphylaxis suggests that cefalotin is a safe alternative because of structural dissimilarities, although there are no pubished clinical data relevant to the perioperative setting. ⋯ A negative intradermal cefalotin skin test has a good negative predictive value in patients who have previously suffered anaphylaxis to cefazolin, allowing the rational and desirable use of this alternative cephalosporin for future surgery and the avoidance of less desirable antimicrobial agents.