Anaphylactic shock: what to do when faced with the most serious allergic reaction?

He anaphylactic shockor anaphylaxis, is the most serious allergic reaction, to the point that it can lead to the death of the affected person.

And the most frequent cause of this allergy is in food.

Specifically, the most common risk products for adults are nuts, fruits, fish and shellfish.

In children, however, the risk is higher in eggs, milk, and also nuts, fish, and shellfish.

Risk in medicines and bites

It is serious allergic reaction It can also be caused by the consumption of drugs and by insect bites (especially by bees or wasps).

According to Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC):

• Medications represent between 30 and 60% of the causes of anaphylaxis

• The second would be food

• After the insect bite

• And other factors related to certain components such as latex.

This substance, present in condoms, gloves or balloons, they point out, “constitutes a cause to consider in the hospital environment. And another cause to consider in Spain is allergy to Anisakis”.

He Dr. Angel Moralpresident of the Aerobiology Committee of the, warns:

“Food allergies are very varied and can range from a simple itchy palate to a severe allergic reaction that can lead to death.”

“The prescription for patients with very mild symptoms is simple: Skip the foods that cause that reaction, no matter how mild, and keep an antihistamine handy,” he says.

“However, those people who have had a previous history of a severe reaction with hives, vomiting, swollen lips, or difficulty breathing should always carry their adrenaline with them.”

While allergies only affect the part of the body where the substance has come into contact, in anaphylactic shock the response involves the entire body.

and the reaction occurs immediately, in a matter of minutes.

What are the signs of anaphylactic shock?

As the specialist in allergology points out, the symptoms appear immediately after ingesting food, medicine or an insect bite.

80% of allergic reactions, which begin in minutes or a few hours, occur with skin involvement.

But there are other important symptoms:

• Respiratory compromise: dyspnea, wheezing or hypoxemia (oxygen saturation below 90.7%).
• drop in blood pressure (less than 90 mmHg in adults or drop of more than 30% in systolic in infants and children) or symptoms associated with organ dysfunction such as syncope or incontinence.
• Symptoms on skin and mucous membranes: pruritus, erythema, edema of the lips, uvula (better known as bell) or tongue.
• Gastrointestinal such as abdominal pain, colic or vomiting.

Self-injectable adrenaline, a life-saving drug

As specified by the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, in children under two years of age, in addition, decay and crying are frequent.

In the case of older people, and if they are also asthmatic, a persistent cough usually begins that progresses to hoarseness and wheezing.

To quickly identify the symptoms of anaphylactic shock and assess its severity, the system lists the following criteria:

1. Sudden onset and rapid progression of symptoms.

2. Respiratory difficulty, high or low, or circulatory problems.

3. Disorientation or restlessness or great discomfort or dizziness.

4. Concomitance with signs on the skin or mucous membranes (erythema, pruritus, edema, macules).

What to do in a case of anaphylaxis?

During an anaphylactic shock, speed prevails. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion, the emergency services must be notified.

And while the ambulance arrives, it is important to follow the following steps indicated by the:

• patient position. People who have suffered an episode of anaphylaxis should be positioned with their legs elevated to increase venous return. Eye! This position is not recommended if you have experienced vomiting or respiratory distress. In these cases, he should be placed in a lateral position to prevent him from swallowing his own vomit, as well as if he is unconscious or breathing spontaneously.
• Allergen removal. In the case of an allergic reaction to a bee sting, remove its sting. If it is anaphylaxis due to food, do not try to induce vomiting and remove the remains of food from the mouth.
• Administer self-injectable adrenaline. Also called epinephrine. It is administered on the outside of the thigh (even with clothes on) by pressing and for ten seconds. Once it has been withdrawn, the area is massaged for another ten seconds.

As the SEAIC emphasizes:

“In case you don’t know if an episode of anaphylaxis is really taking place, it is always better to apply a dose of this medication than not to do so, since the adverse effects are mild and transient.”

Doctor Moral emphasizes that this medication “does not rule out the need to go quickly to the emergency room, because auto-injectable adrenaline allows a longer time frame to get to the hospital, neutralizing the effects of the allergic reaction”.

Self-injectable adrenaline: medicine that we all must know how to use to save lives

This medicine, low medical prescriptionis fundamentally indicated for those people who have suffered previous anaphylaxis due to food, latex or inhalants, induced by exercise, or by poisons.

Consider carrying an auto-injector with you if there has been a previous mild or moderate reaction to nuts, adolescent with , previous mild-moderate allergic reaction to food, poisons, latex or inhalants, or trace amounts of food.

The steps to use the self-injectable adrenaline, as can be seen in the video, are the following:

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