Stress-induced cardiomyopathy following cephalosporin-induced anaphylactic shock during general anesthesia

Anaphylaxis may be caused by various agents during general anesthesia. Sympathetic discharge may occur during anaphylaxis, which can trigger transient cardiomyopathy. We describe a case of stress-induced cardiomyopathy that occurred in association with an anaphylactic reaction during general anesthesia.

A 32-year-old female undergoing laparoscopic enucleation of an ovarian cyst developed a severe anaphylactic reaction after cephalosporin infusion during general anesthesia. Her vital signs responded favourably to immediate resuscitative maneuvers, but cardiovascular collapse reappeared with transient ventricular tachycardia shortly after her transfer to the intensive care unit. ST-segment elevation appeared in electrocardiographic leads V₂–V₆ and echocardiography showed diffuse regional wall motion abnormalities in the midventricular level. Increased MB fractions of creatine kinase and troponin T levels indicated myocardial necrosis, but cardiac catheterization demonstrated normal coronary arteries. Management was supportive and she was discharged 2 days after the onset of anaphylactic symptoms, without sequelae. A diagnosis of stress-induced cardiomyopathy of a midventricular type following anaphylaxis was made on the basis of the clinical features and the findings of cardiac evaluations.

Transient, reversible left-ventricular dysfunction is a recently recognized phenomenon that may occur in the setting of anaphylactic reactions during the perioperative period.