Information on Anaphylaxis for patients

1. Anaphylaxis
(ANN-uh-fill-LAX-us)
Sources:
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/allergicdiseases/understanding/Pages/Anaphylaxis.aspx
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2. Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction.
 It involves more than one organ system. For
example it may involve the skin, the
respiratory system, and the gastrointestinal
tract (the digestive system).
 It can begin very rapidly, and can cause death.
Anaphylaxis
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3. Causes
 Food allergy
 Drug allergy
 Insect sting allergy
 Latex allergy
 Other types of allergies
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Anaphylaxis

4. Symptoms
Many different parts of your body can be
affected:
 Skin: itching, hives, redness, swelling
 Nose: sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose
 Mouth: itching, swelling of lips or tongue
 Throat: itching, tightness, swelling
 Chest: cough, wheeze, chest pain, tightness
 Heart: weak pulse, passing out, shock
 Gastrointestinal: vomiting, diarrhea, cramps
 Nervous system: dizziness or fainting
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Anaphylaxis

5. How do I know?
Anaphylaxis is highly likely if at least one of the
following three conditions occurs:
Your symptoms appear within minutes to several
hours AND involve skin or swelling inside your mouth,
AND you also have trouble breathing or have a drop
in blood pressure.
 Swelling in your mouth, tongue, or throat
 Chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath
 Light headedness, dizziness, loss of consciousness
Call 911, if you experience:
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Anaphylaxis

6. Treatment
Call 9-1-1, then…
 Inject the EpiPen (epinephrine) into the thigh
muscle, as instructed by your doctor.
 Epinephrine acts immediately, but it may be
necessary to give repeat doses.
 After epinephrine has been given, the patient
can be placed in a reclining position with feet
elevated to help restore normal blood flow.
Image Credit: http://epipen.com/
Anaphylaxis