by Mann S
Mann S. Pholcodine-containing cough medicines and anaphylactic reactions during surgery. SelfCare 2012;3(1):2-14
Cough medicines containing pholcodine (PHO) are used to suppress unproductive coughs and have been available as non-prescription products in many countries worldwide for decades. Recently, concerns have been raised about the safety of these products based on a body of evidence which purports to show a relationship between the use of pholcodine and the incidence of anaphylactic reactions to anaesthetic drugs.