Cocaine Allergy in Drug-Dependent Patients and Allergic People.

Background: Adverse reactions to local anesthetics (LAs), especially esters, are not uncommon, but true allergy is rarely diagnosed. To our knowledge, currently there is no reliable method of determining IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to LAs and cocaine.

Objective: To assess the clinical value of allergy tests (prick, IgE, challenges, and arrays) in people suffering hypersensitivity reactions (asthma and anaphylaxis) during local anesthesia with cocaine derivatives and drug abusers with allergic symptoms after cocaine inhalation.

Methods: We selected cocaine-dependent patients and allergic patients who suffered severe reactions during local anesthesia from a database of 23,873 patients. The diagnostic yield (sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value) of allergy tests using cocaine and coca leaf extracts in determining cocaine allergy was assessed, taking a positive challenge as the criterion standard.

Results: After prick tests, specific IgE, and challenge with cocaine extract, 41 of 211 patients (19.4%) were diagnosed as sensitized to cocaine. Prick tests and IgE to coca leaves (coca tea) had a good sensitivity (95.1% and 92.7%, respectively) and specificity (92.3 and 98.8%, respectively) for the diagnosis of cocaine allergy and LA-derived allergy.

Conclusions: Cocaine may be an important allergen. Drug abusers and patients sensitized to local anesthesia and tobacco are at risk. Both prick tests and specific IgE against coca leaf extract detected sensitization to cocaine. The highest levels were related to severe clinical profiles.