You may have already heard quite a bit about anaphylaxis, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. More people than ever before are turning up at hospitals in the UK with anaphylaxis, as the general rate of allergies in the community continues to increase. People who suffer from asthma or have previously suffered a serious allergic reaction tend to most at risk from anaphylaxis.
Many of these instances are due to food-based allergens, such as peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, seeds, shellfish etc. As these foodstuffs are so common, you can easily see how widespread the risk of anaphylaxis can be, and the precautions that those exposed to the condition need to take.
However, there are a number of other potential allergens to take into account, including medications such as penicillin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and also environmental hazards such as bee stings and wasp stings.
Anaphylaxis can occur when someone with an allergy is exposed to the thing that they are allergic to. Reactions to the allergen, which may affect several areas of your body at once, usually begin within soon afterwards and require an immediate emergency response.
Anaphylaxis usually happens quite quickly. There often isn’t a warning period, but usually, symptoms start within half an hour of encountering the allergen, but can start much earlier. For example, getting stung by a bee or eating a food you’re allergic to can trigger symptoms quickly. However, symptoms can sometimes start more than an hour later.
A person who has an anaphylactic reaction can go into anaphylactic shock when their blood pressure drops dangerously low. Bronchial tissues, which help carry air, may begin to swell and cause wheezing, shortness of breath and even loss of consciousness. Anaphylactic shock requires immediate treatment to save the person’s life.
Further symptoms can include shortness of breath, swelling in the throat, tongue or lips, hives or rash, cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty in swallowing and stomach pain.
Our course in Anaphylaxis has been developed so that health care professionals are able to understand what the condition is and how to manage it. Anyone involved in treating anaphylaxis must also hold a current Basic Life Support training certificate.
Our training course content is:
• What is Anaphylaxis
• What causes Anaphylaxis
• The Risk factors for Anaphylaxis and the symptoms
• How it is managed
• Be S.A.F.E. action guide
If you’re interested in taking this course, we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch with us on 01291 624 451, or email training@aci.training.
