Fatal haemopathological consequences of general anaesthesia.

A previously healthy 63-yr-old female died following an anaphylactoid response to anaesthesia with thiopentone and suxamethonium. Postmortem findings strongly suggested that disseminated intravascular coagulation played a significant role in her death. The local mechanism behind the reaction is unknown, but the formation of thiopentone-suxamethonium colloid aggregates during induction, may have led to "aggregate anaphylaxis".