Anaphylaxis under anaesthesia is a dramatic and feared phenomenon. Whilst recognition and treatment has improved largely through awareness and training, the widely quoted mortality still lies between 3 and 9%. An unusual combination of legal obligation and comprehensive referral puts Western Australia in a unique position to audit these figures, which has yielded an unexpected result. Dr Neville Gibbs talks about this observation, its accuracy, and some of the theory and practice relating to anaphyalxis under anaesthesia.
