What you should know about Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis

• Is a severe allergic reaction

• Involves more than one bodily system, for

example the skin and respiratory tract or

gastrointestinal tract

• Can be life-threatening

• Epinephrine, or adrenaline, is the medication

of choice for handling an anaphylactic reaction

Anaphylaxis

Is caused by:

• Food

• Insect stings

• Medications

• Latex

Food-Allergy Induced Anaphylaxis

• Accounts for 30,000 emergency room visits each year

• Causes between 150 to 200 deaths each year; many are children

• More people die of food allergy reactions than insect sting and medication allergy

Symptoms of a Severe Allergic Reaction Can Include

Respiratory tract: –Itchy, watery eyes, running or stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, tingling of the mouth, itching or swelling of the mouth or throat, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma,

GI tract: –abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Skin: –hives, eczema, itchy red rash, swelling

Symptoms of a Severe Allergic Reaction Can Include (2)

Cardiovascular

– Drop in blood pressure, loss of

consciousness/fainting, shock, death

Anaphylaxis

• Patients with peanut or tree nut allergy and asthma appear to be at increased risk for anaphylaxis

• Epinephrine (adrenaline), the medicine of choice for treating an anaphylactic reaction is available by prescription as an auto-injector

–EpiPen® or EpiPen Jr.®

Anaphylaxis Management

• Accidents are never planned

• Quick treatment can be life-saving

• Create a plan for managing a reaction before you need it

• Up to 20% of students who will have an anaphylactic reaction have their first one in school

• Educate others on what to do in case you need their help

3 Rs of An Allergic Emergency Plan

• Recognize symptoms early

• React quickly

• Review what caused the reaction

Anaphylaxis Management

An emergency plan of action should include:•What symptoms to look for

•What medications to use

•Medication dosage instructions

•Where will medications be kept

•What others should do

•Allergy emergency practice drills

Key Steps in Anaphylaxis Management

• Recognize students

• Know what symptoms to look for

• Administer epinephrine quickly

• Transport to hospital after EpiPen® use, then call parents

How to Use EpiPen®

How to Hold

• Form a fist around the

center of the unit• Pull off gray activation cap

How to Use • Hold black tip near outer thigh

(always apply to thigh)

Count to 10 • Swing and jab into outer thigh. Hold

in place and count to 10

What you should know about Insect Stings

• Symptoms usually occur within minutes

• Reactions can vary from mild to life-threatening

• Local reactions do not predict a severe reaction

What you should know about insect stings (2)

• Local reactions are found at site of sting and can cause painful swelling and itching

• Symptoms usually disappear within a few hours

• Some local reactions can cause swelling in a large area, i.e. the entire arm from a sting to the hand

Managing Students with Insect Stings

• Identify the allergic student• Minimize exposure to stinging insects

– Avoid wearing flowers outdoors– Wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, and shoes when

walking on grassy areas– Keep hands and face clean of sweet liquid– Avoid large bushes, especially flowering ones– Keep garbage covered– Avoid drinking sweetened liquids outdoors; if

unavoidable, keep drinks covered

Treatment of Insect Stings

• To relieve mild symptoms– Place a cold compress on the sting site– Antihistamines may relieve itching– Baking soda and water paste may reduce reactions– Applying a topical steroid cream may be helpful in

slowly reducing the reaction size

• Administer EpiPen©, if authorized• Seek immediate medical attention for students

with a history of severe reactions or at first sign of symptoms of a severe reaction

What you should know about Latex Allergy

• Latex allergy is an emerging health issue

• Affects 5 to 10% of healthcare workers

• Affects 1 to 6% of general population

• High risk groups– Rubber industry workers– Health care workers– Children with spina bifida and others with

multiple surgeries

Latex and Food Allergy Connection

Protein in some foods cross react with latex proteins:• Bananas

• Chestnut

• Passion fruit

• Avocado

• Kiwi

• Celery

• Melon

Latex Allergy Symptoms

Skin• Hives• Rash

Respiratory• Itchy, red, watery eyes

• Sneezing

• Runny nose

• Coughing

Latex Allergy Symptoms (2)

Symptoms can be severe and include:• Difficult breathing• Shortness of breath• Shock• Loss of consciousness• Death

There is no cure for latex allergy

Avoidance of latex products is critical

Latex-containing Products that Commonly Cause Reactions

• Gloves

• Balloons

• Condoms

Latex-containing Products* that Rarely Cause Reactions

• Rubber bands• Erasers• Rubber parts for toys• Products made from crepe rubber (soles of shoes)• Latex clothing• Elastic on clothing• Feeding nipples and pacifiers

* Latex paint does not contain latex

Additional Resources• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network --

http://www.foodallergy.org• Allergy & Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics,

Inc. -- http://www.aanma.org

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology -- http://www.aaaai.org

• American Academy of Pediatrics -- http://www.aap.org

Additional Resources• American College of Allergy, Asthma, and

Immunology -- http://www.allergy.mcg.edu

• Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America -- http://www.aafa.org/home

• Food Allergy Initiative -- http://www.foodallergyinitiative.org

• International Food Information Council Foundation -- http://www.ific.org