Hepatology : official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
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Case Reports
Halothane hepatitis without halothane: role of inapparent circuit contamination and its prevention.
Halothane and other halogenated anesthetic agents are liquids which are highly soluble in rubber and plastic materials widely used as components of anesthesia machines. These agents must be administered using machines equipped with vaporizers. We report a patient with a past history of halothane hepatitis in whom recurrence was suspected despite the fact that halothane had been avoided purposely during the subsequent operation. ⋯ The validity of this conclusion was confirmed in five patients with previous diagnosis of halothane hepatitis who subsequently underwent operations under general anesthesia during which machines never equipped with vaporizers were successful in preventing recurrence of hepatitis. We conclude that patients with a prior history of halothane hepatitis are at risk of inapparent circuit contamination-induced recurrent hepatitis. Unless such contamination can be confidently excluded, vaporizer-equipped machines should not be used to administer general anesthesia in these susceptible patients.