Xylometazoline nasal drops induced anaphylaxis: An atypical perioperative complication

Rudrashish Haldar, Sukhminderjit Singh Bajwa, Jasleen KaurJournal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology 2017 33(3):399-401Xylometazoline nasal drops used for nasal decongestion can have side-effect in the form of palpitation, hypertension, headache, and tremors. Anaphylaxis to xylometazoline nasal drops is a relatively unrecognized complication. We encountered a patient posted for tonsillectomy who developed serious anaphylaxis upon administration of a commercially available preparation of xylometazoline nasal drops and required aggressive management for stabilization. Further evaluation and literature search indicated toward the preservative (benzylalkonium chloride) as the cause of this adverse event.
Source: Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Source Type: research