Ethylene oxide allergy in patients on hemodialysis waiting for kidney transplantation: logistical nightmare or challenge? A case report.

Ethylene oxide (EO) is widely used as a sterilization gas for heat-sensitive devices. In EO-sensitized patients, this type of sterilization can cause rare but major allergic reactions such as hives, rash, asthma, or anaphylactic shock. Hemodialysis patients in particular are at risk of developing hypersensitivity to EO.