Repeated dialysis anaphylaxia.

A 76-year-old woman with multiple allergic reactions was treated 17 times by haemodialysis. Symptoms of anaphylactoid reactions of increasing severity led to final death due to cardiorespiratory arrest. Anaphylactoid reactions appeared 5-30 min after the start of dialysis and lasted for 15-20 min. They first occurred on the 7th dialysis and consisted of hypotension, diarrhoea, bronchospasm, bradycardia and respiratory arrest. Change of dialysis regime, dialyser (gamma-sterilised, autoclaved), heparin, and administration of antihistamines, steroid, and adrenaline did not prevent these reactions.