Thread by @AllergyKidsDoc

Epinephrine is the ONLY effective treatment for anaphylaxis.
It is:
-Safe
-Fast
-Effective for all symptoms

There should be no question to use epi for anaphylaxis. But, deciding whether anaphylaxis is present is the tricky part. I'll address here⬇️ #FoodAllergyAwarenessWeek

Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressive, systemic allergic reaction that can occur from allergies to food, medication, venom, etc.
Easiest definition is any combo of 2 or more organ systems:
Skin=hives/swelling
Lungs=cough/wheeze
GI=vomiting
Nose=congestion
aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Me…

Anaphylaxis generally occurs quickly after allergen exposure - within minutes and rarely longer than 2 hours later.
Wake up with hives the next day? Not likely anaphylaxis.
Vomiting in setting of fever, feeling unwell - think viral illness.
Hives with viral illness - very common

Anaphylaxis can be very scary and difficult to determine. When in doubt - give epinephrine! It's safe & will help.
Side effects are minimal at doses in autoinjectors. We all have adrenaline in our bodies, which is the same as epi. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

Concern for anaphylaxis warrants our full attention - often causes anxiety & rightful concern, as well as questions:
Accidental or unknown ingestion of food allergen but no symptoms? That's not anaphylaxis.
Hives without any other symptoms? Not anaphylaxis - that's hives.

Epinephrine will not prevent anaphylaxis when it has not occurred. Why? It circulates and is out of the system too fast.
Onset of anaphylaxis after accidental food ingestion may not be for 20-30 minutes. If epi given immediately with no symptoms, it's gone before reaction begins

Anaphylaxis is a clinical diagnosis - once it is diagnosed, then epinephrine should be administered promptly.
-Antihistamines take 30-60 min to work
-Steroids take 4-6 hours

-Epinephrine takes 3-5 minutes and treats ALL symptoms of anaphylaxis

You don't need to have throat swelling, difficulty breathing, respiratory difficulty to have anaphylaxis!
Hives + vomiting = anaphylaxis
Cough + swelling = anaphylaxis

People generally feel unwell and have acute change in demeanor - also occurs pretty soon after exposure.

Epinephrine is consistently underused for anaphylaxis. It is often not available, not used even when available, or people have concerns about needles/side effects.
After accidentally injecting myself during a demonstration, I assure you, it doesn't hurt and I was fine. 👍

This open access article addresses the many reasons why epinephrine is underused for anaphylaxis - issues related to physicians, patients, AND manufacturers:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
#FoodAllergyAwarenessWeek

As always, this thread is not meant to give you personal medical advice.

Anaphylaxis management has many nuances and an individual's risk, avoidance strategies, and treatment plan should ALWAYS be discussed with their personal allergist.
#FoodAllergyAwarenessWeek