Pholcodine and allergy to neuromuscular blocking agents: where are we and how did we get here?

Louise Savic; Philip M Hopkins

doi:10.1016/j.bja.2023.11.029

Pholcodine and allergy to neuromuscular blocking agents: where are we and how did we get here?

Br J Anaesth. 2024 Mar;132(3):457-460. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.11.029. Epub 2023 Dec 8.

Authors

Louise Savic¹, Philip M Hopkins²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK. Electronic address: louise.savic@nhs.net.
² Department of Anaesthesia, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK; Institute of Medical Research at St James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

PMID: 38071149
DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.11.029

Abstract

Despite the purported link between pholcodine and neuromuscular blocking agent allergy, screening for prior pholcodine use offers no practical benefit to patients, and anaesthetists should continue to use a neuromuscular blocking agent where this is clinically indicated.

Keywords: anaphylaxis; general anaesthesia; neuromuscular blocking agent; perioperative allergy; pholcodine.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Anaphylaxis* / diagnosis
Codeine / adverse effects
Codeine / analogs & derivatives*
Drug Hypersensitivity* / diagnosis
Drug Hypersensitivity* / etiology
Humans
Morpholines*
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents* / adverse effects

Substances

pholcodine
Codeine
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents
Morpholines