Is an allergy test required before anesthesia?
Disease description:
Recently preparing for pregnancy, I went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with cervical polyps. The doctor recommended a polypectomy. Before the procedure, anesthesia is required. I would like to ask if an allergy test is needed prior to the anesthesia.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Wang Xiaoyan
Whether preoperative anesthesia requires allergy testing mainly depends on the individual patient's condition. For the general population, the probability of allergic reactions to anesthetic drugs is very low, so allergy testing is rarely performed as part of routine preoperative procedures. However, for patients with a known allergic constitution, such tests may be necessary. This is because certain components in anesthetic drugs might be related to the patient's allergens—for example, patients allergic to soy products might be at risk when receiving intravenous anesthetic drugs containing related ingredients. In special circumstances, such as when a patient is known to be allergic to a specific anesthetic drug or its components, or when the physician deems allergy assessment necessary, appropriate allergy testing will be conducted. These tests may include skin allergy tests, blood tests to measure histamine and tryptase levels, among others. However, it should be noted that these methods are not routine diagnostic tools and carry a certain risk of false-positive results.
