Many people believe that allergies are not dangerous. To some extent, this is true. However, some of its species are deadly. An example is anaphylactic shock. Lives can be saved only with the right first aid. That is why each person should know the symptoms, causes, and the procedure.
What is this?
Shock is the reaction of the body, which can occur to various allergens. Most often, it is caused by food, medicine, injections, bites. Sometimes this type of shock can develop within minutes, sometimes after hours.
The mechanism of an allergic reaction consists of two processes at once. The first is sensitization. That is, at first the system detects the presence of an allergen, respectively, it begins to produce proteins called immunoglobulins. The second process is the allergic reaction itself. If allergens enter the body again, a specific condition is caused. Sometimes it canends with the death of the patient. When an allergy occurs, the body begins to release histamines. These substances cause itching, burning, dilate blood vessels, so they are very dangerous. When helping with anaphylactic shock, you need to understand that the very first and most important action should be the neutralization of the allergen. If you know the signs of such a condition, then you can help a person.
Symptomatics
It should be noted that this allergic reaction can manifest itself in different ways. In addition to the usual rashes during shock, there may be fever, itching, swelling, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, blackouts, convulsions, problems with breathing and the functioning of the body as a whole, and so on. The feet, thighs, back, palms, and abdomen are most commonly affected. Sometimes the development of anaphylactic shock is perceived as a symptom of other diseases, so it can be quite difficult to provide first aid. Accordingly, serious complications may occur.
You need to understand that the most important indicators of the development of an allergy are a rash, fever, convulsions and a decrease in pressure. If you do not immediately intervene in this symptomatology and do not help the person, then this will probably lead to his death.
What causes an anaphylactic reaction?
Most often this condition affects people who are prone to allergies. This list should include the appearance of a runny nose for various reasons, dermatitis, and so on. If you are prone to allergies, you should avoid contact with substances that cause negativebody reaction.
If a person has already experienced anaphylactic shock once, then he needs to constantly keep a first aid kit with him. The most common allergens include insects, animals, some reaction products (milk, honey, eggs and fish, drugs), phytoallergens (flowering plants or pollen), as well as substances that are synthetic or natural.
Shapes of shock
Given that this reaction manifests itself in different ways, several forms are distinguished at once.
- Typical. In this case, histamines are released into the blood. Accordingly, a person begins to feel dizzy, swelling, fever, itching and rashes appear directly, and pressure also decreases. There may be weakness, as well as a panic fear of death.
- Cerebral form. She is quite serious. With it, the brain swells, convulsions appear, the person loses consciousness.
- Food form is linked to digestive problems. Symptoms include swelling, especially of the lips and tongue. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps may also occur.
- Distinguish shock, which is provoked by physical activity. In this case, the symptoms described above appear.
- The last form of anaphylactic shock is an allergy that complicates the respiratory system. Accordingly, a person begins to block his nose, a cough appears, his throat swells, it is difficult for him to breathe. If you do not immediately provide first aid when an allergy occurs, then the patient will die fromsuffocation.
Another shock is divided into 4 degrees. The most dangerous are 3 and 4. With them, the person is unconscious, and the treatment is practically ineffective. Very rarely, these degrees develop immediately when an allergy occurs. They are the result of incorrectly rendered assistance or not rendered at all at 1-2 degrees.
Stages of shock
Symptoms of anaphylactic shock vary due to the stages a person may be in.
- The period of precursors manifests itself in this way: a person develops nausea, dizziness, weakness, fainting, rashes on the skin and mucous membranes. There is also anxiety, numbness of the limbs, face, breathing problems. A person's eyesight and hearing may be impaired.
- The peak period is characterized by a drop in pressure, the appearance of pallor, tachycardia, rather noisy breathing, sticky sweat, itching. Also, a person may stop urinating, or vice versa, incontinence will appear.
With successful treatment, the patient recovers from a state of shock in a few days. He may have poor appetite, dizziness, and weakness.
Degrees of severity
It should be noted that the algorithm for helping with anaphylactic shock depends entirely on the severity of the disease.
- With a light current, the pressure drops to 90/60. The first period lasts up to 15 minutes. A person can lose consciousness for a while, but only for a couple of seconds, this degree also lends itself welltreatment.
- As for the moderate severity, the pressure drops to 60/40. The warning period lasts up to 5 minutes. The person may lose consciousness for 10 to 20 minutes. The effect of the treatment is quite slow, the patient requires a very long observation.
- In severe cases, the pressure cannot be determined, the first period lasts literally seconds, the patient loses consciousness for more than half an hour, and the effect of the treatment is completely absent.
Mild symptoms
It is important to be able to provide emergency care for anaphylactic shock. The simplest it will be with a light course. It is necessary to get rid of the allergen and suppress the symptoms. In mild shock, initial symptoms develop within the first 15 minutes. A person has swelling, and the localization is huge. A burning sensation is felt throughout the body, rashes and itching may appear. The larynx swells, respectively, the voice becomes hoarse.
At the same time, the patient can have time to inform his relatives that he has tachycardia, a feeling of reduced pressure, abdominal pain, diarrhea, defecation. Some patients may even experience bronchospasm, which is manifested by a rather difficult exhalation and loud wheezing. The skin becomes pale, there is pain in the lower back, head, lips and tongue become numb, dizziness begins, vision decreases. A person may complain that he suddenly developed a fear of death.
Medium stage
If the patient already has a moderate stage, then it is urgent to start providing assistance. AtIn anaphylactic shock of this severity, convulsions are observed, after which the patient loses consciousness, the pressure becomes quite low, bradycardia or tachycardia is observed, bleeding may begin, both internally or from the nose, as well as involuntary urination or defecation. Pupils dilate, puffiness, weakness appear, sticky sweat appears, rashes are observed.
Severe
Medical care for severe anaphylactic shock already, in principle, has no role. The fact is that this form develops almost instantly, the patient does not have time to share his complaints, because he loses consciousness in just a few seconds. It is reasonable to provide assistance only during the first minutes. Otherwise, further death awaits the patient.
The patient develops symptoms such as dilated pupils, pallor, cyanosis of the skin, convulsions, wheezing when breathing, no pulse is felt and blood pressure is lost. It is impossible to measure it.
Diagnosis
In order for the recommendations for anaphylactic shock to work, it is necessary to conduct an instant diagnosis. It should be noted that the symptoms of shock are quite easy to confuse with other diseases. The main conditions for a correct diagnosis are the correct history. It is necessary to carry out enzyme immunoassay. You should also take a general blood test, which will allow you to find out how many erythrocytes and leukocytes are in the body. It is important to pay attention to the indicators of eosinophils. A biochemical blood test is also carried out. Thanks to him, you can find out the statusliver and kidney enzymes. Be sure to do a chest x-ray in order to understand whether there is pulmonary edema. If the patient cannot name the causes of shock, then allergological tests are mandatory, and an allergist's consultation is also necessary.
First Aid
If a person has a suspicion that he or his loved one will soon begin to show symptoms of shock, you should immediately call an ambulance. Most often, it is the professional actions of doctors that help save a person's life. Consider the algorithm of measures for anaphylactic shock.
- The allergen needs to be eliminated. Be sure to do this right away. Therefore, it is important to know how it got into the body. If poisoning occurs, it is necessary to wash the stomach, but if a person has been bitten by a bee, then pull out the sting.
- Next, the patient should be placed on his back. His legs should be raised.
- If a person has vomiting or convulsions, you need to turn his head to one side. This will allow him not to swallow his tongue, and also not to choke on vomit.
- You need to open a window or door to let in fresh air.
- If there is no breathing and pulse, then it is necessary to perform a heart massage.
- If a person has anaphylactic shock in response to the bite of an insect, then it is necessary to bandage his wound above the site of the lesion. This will prevent the poison from spreading further throughout the body. It should be noted that atin contact with such an allergen, it is necessary to chop the place in a circle with adrenaline. With anaphylactic shock, this will help to avoid many dangerous manifestations. It is necessary to make about 5-6 injections, injecting 0.3 ml each time. Similar doses of adrenaline are sold in pharmacies ready-made.
- If it is not possible to inject adrenaline, then you can use an antihistamine or hormones.
You need to be able to provide first aid for shock and recognize its symptoms. This will save the life of the patient in emergency situations.
Emergency Medical Care
Let's consider the algorithm of emergency care for anaphylactic shock.
- It is imperative to check the vital functions. That is, pressure, pulse should be measured.
- If the patient is in the hospital, then he is urgently given an electrocardiogram, oxygen saturation is carried out.
- It is necessary to check the condition of the respiratory tract and remove all vomit from the mouth. This ensures air permeability.
- It is also necessary to fix the lower jaw in order to intubate the trachea.
- If there is Quincke's edema or a spasm in the throat, it is necessary to carry out a special procedure, the essence of which is to cut the larynx between special cartilages to allow fresh air.
- A tracheotomy is also done.
- Next, adrenaline must be injected if there is a clearly marked place where the allergen has entered. If this is an insect bite, then it must be pricked on all sides with a dilute solution of adrenaline. Furtherit is necessary to introduce up to 5 ml of the same mixture under the root of the tongue. If not possible, then you can do it intravenously. The rest of the solution must be diluted with physiological and put on a dropper with it. In this case, the pressure level should be controlled.
- Be sure to inject steroids. The physician must use adrenal hormones.
- Antihistamines are also administered. Over time, when a person begins to feel better, they switch to pills.
- It is necessary to inhale with humidified oxygen. The speed should be no more than 7 liters per minute.
- Continuing to provide emergency care for anaphylactic shock, it is necessary to inject “Eufillin” up to 10 mg. This will get rid of respiratory failure, if any.
- If acute vascular insufficiency develops, which is the cause of blood redistribution, special solutions must be administered. We are talking about colloid and crystalloid.
- In order to prevent swelling of the lungs and brain, it is necessary to take diuretics. If there is a cerebral form of shock, then doctors prescribe tranquilizers, as well as anticonvulsants.
Such an emergency aid algorithm for anaphylactic shock will help save a person.
Features of treatment
First aid should be provided immediately. If a patient develops a similar condition, then he needs to be observed in a hospital. Doctors must restore the working capacity of all organs that have been damaged. May sufferrespiratory system, nervous or digestive.
First you need to stop the production of substances such as histamine. After all, they poison the body. To do this, doctors should use antihistamine blockers. If there are any symptoms, then antispasmodics or anticonvulsants should be used.
Treatment for anaphylactic shock usually takes several days. However, it should be noted that after the elimination of symptoms and the condition itself, you need to see a doctor for about a month.
It should be remembered that if the symptoms were eliminated, this does not mean that the person is completely cured. Sometimes the shock can come back after a week. That is why, if a patient has been diagnosed with shock, he must definitely go to the hospital.
Consequences
If it is wrong to provide first aid for anaphylactic shock, then a person may experience some complications. After the patient's heart and respiratory failure is resolved, some symptoms may still persist. For example, intellectual functions can deteriorate sharply, since a person had prolonged hypoxia, that is, starvation, of the brain. Accordingly, a headache may occur. In this case, nootropic drugs are prescribed. You need to understand that helping with anaphylactic shock is quite important.
A hematoma and swelling may occur at the injection or bite site, so it is necessary to use special ointments and gels to get rid of them. Heparin ointment is excellent. Because ofshock disrupts the heart, so chest pain may occur.
Lower blood pressure can persist for a long time after the first symptoms are relieved. Abdominal discomfort, heart pain, fever, lethargy, weakness, fatigue, and lethargy may also persist. Occasionally, late complications may occur that occur after approximately 2 weeks.
Quincke's edema, redness, rashes, glomerulonephritis, myocarditis, hepatitis and so on may appear. Moreover, it should be noted that such complications often lead to death. You also need to pay attention that if a person has repeated contact with allergic substances that caused this condition in him the previous time, then diseases such as lupus, periarthritis, and so on can develop.
Preventive measures
The algorithm of actions for anaphylactic shock has already been described above. Now you need to describe the measures taken to avoid such a state.
- In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, you must always carry a dose of adrenaline with you.
- Any places where there may be allergens should be avoided. Especially when it comes to pets or plants.
- You need to eat with care. Even a small amount of an allergic substance can lead to shock.
- Your acquaintances and friends must be warned about the disease. They should be able to provide first aid in case somethingwill happen. They especially need to be able to suppress their panic.
- When visiting any doctors, in the treatment of other diseases, it is imperative to talk about your allergies. Otherwise, you can get the doctor to prescribe a drug that is contraindicated in shock.
- It is strictly forbidden to engage in self-medication.
Shock is a severe form of allergy. Compared to other species, this form is the most dangerous, and the mortality rate is high.
Secondary prevention
You should know what to do with anaphylactic shock. This is pretty important. It is also required to understand what preventive measures should be taken.
- In order to stop attacks, it is necessary to have regular examinations with an allergist.
- It is necessary to treat dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, eczema and so on in a timely manner.
- It is necessary to write your own diagnosis in red ink on your medical record in order to draw attention to this. You should also prescribe drugs that can cause anaphylactic shock in the patient.
- You need to take a very careful history when it comes to allergies.
- After an injection of any drug, the doctor must observe the patient for at least half an hour.
- It is also necessary to do sensitivity tests before taking any drugs. This will prevent the development of shock in time.
Tertiary prevention
- To prevent relapsesdiseases, masks and sunglasses must be worn when the plants are in bloom.
- Be sure to control the food that a person consumes.
- Unnecessary furniture and toys must be removed from the apartment.
- Requires constant ventilation.
- It is necessary to clean the rooms in order to get rid of insects, dust and mites.
- Be sure to follow the rules of personal hygiene. This will avoid not only anaphylactic shock in children, but also in adults.
What can doctors do to prevent a life-threatening condition?
In order to prevent diseases, it is necessary to correctly collect an anamnesis and constantly monitor the patient's life. To minimize the risk of shock, you need to pay attention to some factors.
Sometimes doctors prescribe the wrong drugs that cause the condition. This is exactly what the following factors are about.
- Be sure to prescribe all drugs strictly according to the anamnesis.
- You need to choose the optimal dosage with an understanding of how compatible the prescribed drugs are with each other.
- It is necessary to take into account the age of the patient. This is especially true for cardiac, sedative, and antihypertensive compounds. The dosage of the latter for elderly patients should be at least halved when compared with the norms for a young person.
- You can't inject multiple drugs at the same time.
- Appointed to receive any new remedy can only afterits effect on the body will be evaluated.
In this case, first aid for anaphylactic shock can be provided quite simply.
If a person has a fungal infection, it is best not to prescribe penicillin antibiotics. This is due to the fact that these two substances have common antigenic determinants.
- You can not prescribe several medicines that are identical in chemical composition at once, especially when it comes to chronological effects.
- Carefully consider all contraindications of prescribed medications in order to take into account the risk of allergies.
- It is best to prescribe antibiotics only if microbiological studies have already been obtained, and the body's sensitivity to pathogens has been determined.
- Also, if antibiotics need to be dissolved, it is best to use either saline or distilled water. This is due to the fact that sometimes the use of procaine causes quite severe allergies.
- It is necessary to periodically check the condition of the kidneys and liver. If there are any diseases, then a course of treatment is required.
- You need to control the content of leukocytes in the blood. Before conducting any drug therapy, it is necessary to prescribe antihistamine formulations at least a few days before the administration of the drug and then 30 minutes before.
- If there are appropriate indicators, then you need to inject calcium and steroids.
Required in proceduralshould have anti-shock first aid kits. One feature should also be noted. It is impossible to have in the same room patients who are faced with a relapse of shock, with patients who are injected with drugs that cause allergies in the first. It should also be noted that when the patient is discharged from the hospital, the doctor must make a note that the person is allergic to drugs. Thanks to her, any specialist will understand what actions should be taken in case of anaphylactic shock.
Conclusion
At the moment, the environmental situation in the world and directly the way of life of people leave much to be desired. That is why so many people have allergies. Every 10 inhabitants of our planet have a similar reaction to allergens. Young people are especially affected. That is why every person should understand and know the first aid algorithms for anaphylactic shock. It is she who, again, saves a person's life. It is also best to have an antiallergic first aid kit at home to be always ready. After all, shock can hit anyone.
