health

Treatment of anaphylaxis before the patient is taken to the hospital
usually consists of checking to see whether the patient’s airway is open
and administering oxygen or otherwise helping the patient breathe. Intravenous
fluids are given if the patient’s blood pressure is low. Adrenaline
and antihistamines are also given to help open the airway, relieve hives
and other skin reactions, and restore normal blood pressure. Once in the
hospital, the patient may be given further treatment, including emergency
surgery to open the airway if he or she is still having trouble
breathing. Steroid medications may be given in the hospital to lower the
risk of a delayed or biphasic reaction, and the patient will usually be kept
in the hospital for a few hours to make sure there will not be such a reaction
after returning home.

First Aid for Anaphylaxis
There are several steps that friends or by standers can take if they see someone having an episode of anaphylaxis:
• Call 911 at once for emergency help.
• Check the person to see whether he
or she is carrying an EpiPen or similar
device for emergency treatment of
anaphylaxis. If so, administer the
medicine at once.
• Have the person lie flat on his or her
back and raise the feet above heart
level.
• Try to keep the person calm, as
moving unnecessarily or getting
panicky can make the anaphylactic
reaction worse.
• Cover the person with a blanket to
keep warm but do not give him or
her anything to drink.
• If the person is vomiting or bleeding
from the mouth, gently turn him or
her on one side to prevent choking.
• If possible, find out what triggered
the reaction and tell the emergency
helpers when they arrive.