[throwawaytime]

Does anyone have any info about what kind of allergic reaction could have caused this?

I'm fearful of hospital procedures for reasons like these. How'd the doctors let it slip by? But it's a dumb fear and I'm trying to break myself of it.

[JshWright]

It didn't 'slip by', it likely happened very quickly, without warning, and the doctors and nurses certainly did everything they could to save him (I don't know anything about the specifics of this case, but I'm familiar with the general practices).

There are various medications used for sedation that you wouldn't be exposed to in the course of 'normal' life, so the first time you're exposed to them is on the operating table. That makes it very hard to predict things like this.

It's also possible it wasn't actually an allergic reaction, but one of a handful of other life-threatening reactions that can take place during medical procedures (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malignant_hyperthermia )

No procedure is without risk. It is important to weigh benefits of the procedure against the risks (your doctor should be able to help you judge your specific risk factors and explain the benefits).

[ertdfgcb]

It's possible they gave him some medication that nobody knew he was allergic to and by time they caught it it was too late. It's also possible that someone fucked up and didn't read his chart before a procedure. Or it might be something completely different. I don't know if this'll help the fear, but this is one of those crazy random ways you can die and there's not a whole lot (aside from having an up to date and complete chart) that you can do about it. The only thing being afraid of it does is lower your quality of life.