Latex allergy in an infant with acquired hydrocephalus

Abstract

Latex allergy is a potentially life-threatening intraoperative occurrence which is relatively rare in our environment. We report the case of a 3 month old male infant with acquired hydrocephalus undergoing ventriculo-peritoneal shunt insertion who developed wheals and suffered a respiratory arrest following contact with latex gloves. The need for anaesthetists to effectively diagnose and properly manage this rare clinical entity is emphasized.

Keywords: latex allergy; perioperative