Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergic response. It usually occurs within half an hour of allergen exposure but may take up to 2 hours to develop.
- Swelling of throat
- Lip, tongue swelling
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Shortness of breath
- Hives
- Generalised flushing of skin
- Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
- Collapse
Accurate identification of the causative agent guides appropriate treatment.
Despite recommendations to consider delaying skin testing for a suspected allergen for 4-6 weeks after a severe anaphylactic reaction due to the refractory period that can cause false negative skin tests, all patients who have had an anaphylaxis require immediate assessment.
Medications, food and insect venom are the most common triggers for anaphylaxis. In children food is the most common trigger. Hospitalisation for food-repeated anaphylaxis is common in preschool age children. Nut allergies carry the highest risk of anaphylaxis and death from anaphylaxis.
- Avoidance of the allergen is first and foremost.
- In date adrenaline autoinjectors should be on hand for those with life-threatening anaphylaxis.
- Written emergency Anaphylaxis Action Plans
- Annual review: monitoring repeat reactions, reinforcing trigger avoidance and re-educating patient and family on recognising allergic reactions and how to use adrenaline auto-injector.
We can put you in touch with support groups for more information.
Click hereFirstly by seeing one of our trained Doctors we can determine whether allergy testing is suitable.
We can contact our immunologists and consider how other specialists or allied health such as dieticians may be needed in your treatment plan.
Prevention is the best cure. We can educate you on how to best avoid anaphylactic triggers.
Our Doctors will train you and your family in how to identify signs of anaphylaxis and how to use adrenaline autoinjector, if needed.
We will provide you with Anaphylaxis Action Plans for work or school and arrange annual follow up to keep adrenaline autoinjectors scripts up to date and regularly review plans.