Okuzeka
Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Medical Emergencies

Anaphylaxis

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ˌænəfɪˈlæksɪs/nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, anaphylaxis means: A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that develops quickly and can affect breathing and circulation, triggered for example by foods, insect stings or medicines.

In Turkish: anafilaksi, anafilaktik şok, ağır alerjik reaksiyon

How it is used

Signs include swelling of the lips or throat, wheezing, hives and a drop in blood pressure. The key drug is adrenaline (epinephrine), often given with an auto-injector. The adjective is 'anaphylactic': anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock.

Example sentences

  1. She is known to have anaphylaxis to peanuts and carries two auto-injectors.

  2. Suspected anaphylaxis after a bee sting: lips swelling, wheezy, BP dropping.

Common collocations

  • severe anaphylaxis
  • suspected anaphylaxis
  • anaphylactic reaction
  • anaphylactic shock
  • auto-injectorA pen-shaped device with a hidden needle that gives a fixed dose of a medicine when pressed against the thigh, usually adrenaline for anaphylaxis.
  • shockA life-threatening condition in which not enough blood and oxygen reach the body's organs, for example after heavy bleeding, a severe infection or a serious allergic reaction.
  • airwayThe passage that air travels through from the nose and mouth to the lungs; in emergencies, the question is whether it is open or blocked.
  • asthma attackA sudden worsening of asthma in which the airways tighten and swell, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Medical Emergencies

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.