Reaction to ketamine: anaphylactoid or anaphylactic?

A 3-year-old child developed extensive macular rash after ketamine. The mechanism of this reaction was investigated by the Prausnitz-Kutzner (P-K) test. It demonstrated that the histamine release was not the result of an anaphylactic reaction, but rather a direct pharmacological effect of the drug. The result suggests that this child can receive ketamine in the future without any severe manifestations. The mechanisms of histamine release are discussed and the treatment of its clinical manifestations is reviewed.