Anaphylaxis

Allergies become life threatening when they trigger an anaphylactic response. Not all allergic reactions are anaphylactic but anaphylaxis is life threatening and needs to be recognized and treated immediately.

Signs of anaphylaxis can be very pronounced, presenting immediately and urgently or it can be more subtle, coming on slowly but becoming very serious. Recognition of the possibility as well as the signs and symptoms is critical to ensure proper and prompt treatment.

Food allergies can commonly result in anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can also result from allergies to insect stings, latex, allergies to medications or unknown allergies.

Anaphylactic symptoms can show up in different body systems:

Skin - hives itchiness, flushing, rash

Mouth - swollen lips, tongue or throat, itchy or tingling tongue, sudden sore throat

Breathing - shortness of breath, wheezing, trouble breathing or talking, coughing, loss of respiratory effort

Heart - dizziness, lightheadedness, cardiac arrest

Stomach - nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea

Generalized - feeling of dread, scared, loss of consciousness,

Having multiple symptoms from multiple body systems or the presence of a life threatening symptom would indicate anaphylaxis.

Treatment requires the administration of epinephrine ( provided by an autoinjector like epi-pen or Auvi-Q or their generic equivalent) These medications are easy to administer and provide life saving results lasting about 20 minutes. After that time the symptoms may return requiring another dose of epinephrine as well as possibly other medications to reverse the allergic response and support the child until the allergic response is finished. After the first dose of emergency epinephrine it is necessary to activate EMS by calling 911 and prepare to take the child to the emergency room for more advanced care. Talk with you health care provider about emergency epinephrine. If there is a concern that anaphylaxis is possibility your health care provider can prescribe an emergency epinephrine product for you. You should receive training in the use of the specific emergency epinephrine delivery system you are prescribed. The school nurse can help you with that, if needed.