Perioperative Management of a Patient with Cold Urticaria

Front Med (Lausanne). 2017 Dec 18:4:222. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2017.00222. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Cold urticaria consists of an allergic immune response to cold temperatures with symptoms ranging from pruritic wheals to life-threatening angioedema, bronchospasm, or anaphylactic shock. Adequate planning to maintain normothermia perioperatively is vital due to impaired hypothalamic thermoregulation and overall depression of sympathetic outflow during deep sedation and general anesthesia. This case report describes the successful perioperative management of a 45-year-old female with a history of cold urticaria undergoing a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease and discusses how to appropriately optimize the care of these patients.

Keywords: anesthesiology; cold allergy; cold urticaria; hypersensitivity reactions; immune reactions; perioperative anaphylaxis; perioperative hypothermia; perioperative normothermia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports