Anaphylactic Shock In Children

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Anaphylactic shock in children

Anaphylactic shock (anaphylaxis) is a painful condition. It is accompanied by a sharp increase in the body's sensitivity. Sensations appear when the allergen is reintroduced. These include any kind of foreign proteins. In addition, anaphylactic shock can be caused by:

• Medications.
• Insect bites.

Etc. Anaphylactic shock is life-threatening for adults and children. It belongs to the most severe manifestations of allergic reactions.

It takes very little time for manifestations to become critical - starting from a few seconds, but no more than 2 hours. It does not matter how the allergen came into contact with the patient. The more it is, the worse the patient's condition will be.

Content:

• Causes of anaphylactic shock in children
• Symptoms of childhood anaphylactic shock
• What to do in case of anaphylactic shock in a child?
• How is anaphylactic shock treated in children?

Causes of anaphylactic shock in children

• Use of certain medications.
• Contact with X-ray contrast agents.
• Allergy diagnostics technique.
• Taking antibiotics (especially for penicillin).
• Food allergy.
• Insect bites.
• The use of gamma globulin, a number of vaccines, sera.

There are quite rare cases - for example, when the body reacts in this way to cold. It is very difficult to identify the exact allergen, especially if these are medications, and the patient does not take them in a single amount.

In children, such manifestations are often caused by some vaccines, serums. Shock is usually evident upon secondary exposure to the allergen. Often in children whose mothers used a dangerous drug during pregnancy and breastfeeding, anaphylactic shock manifests itself due to the very first contact with the drug. The method of administration and dose are not important for the sensitized (allergic) patient.

Anaphylactic shock due to food intake is rare. Often among children, there is intolerance to milk (sensitization to beta-lactoglobulin), fish dishes, egg white.

Symptoms of childhood anaphylactic shock

The symptoms of anaphylactic shock in children are related to how the disease develops. First, the allergen enters the body. With skin contact, itching, swelling, etc. occur. If the disease develops due to the product, then the corresponding symptoms begin. Some manifestations of the disease can be distinguished:

• Signs of anxiety, fear.
• Headache of a throbbing character.
• Dizziness.
• Numbness of the lips and facial muscles.
• Noise in ears.
• Cold sweat.
• Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Quincke's edema.
• Hives.
• Shortness of breath.
• Bronchial spasm.
• Oppression in the chest.
• Nausea.
• Stomach ache.
• Vomiting.
• Convulsions.
• Foam at the mouth.
• Low blood pressure.
• Uncontrolled urination.
• Bloody formations from the vagina (in adults).
• The pulse becomes threadlike.
• Loss of consciousness.

If the latter symptom is observed, there is a risk of death. It is necessary to immediately provide first aid and bring the patient to life. From suffocation, death occurs in 5-30 minutes. Vital organs decompose in 24 to 48 hours. These are irreversible changes that must be prevented immediately. There are cases when a lethal outcome occurs as a result of changes in the kidneys (glomerulonephritis), which require more time for pathology. Also, after a long time, destruction can be diagnosed:

• gastrointestinal tract (intestinal bleeding),
• heart pathology (myocarditis),
• death of brain cells (edema, hemorrhage)

In most cases, shock occurs in two phases. First, there is some improvement in health, and then blood pressure drops sharply. Patients who have suffered such a shock spend at least 12 days in the hospital.

There are situations when children can first notice certain manifestations of the disease. They are observed immediately after contact with an allergen (urticaria, itching, dizziness, etc.). They are called "anxiety" symptoms.

What to do in case of anaphylactic shock in a child?

Immediately you need to call an ambulance. This is done at the first symptoms. This is especially important when you know in advance about an atypical reaction to an allergen. In such a case, the ambulance dispatcher is warned that he needs to send a specialized team to call.

A detailed article on the topic of first aid for anaphylactic shock

When the allergen is known, the patient should be isolated from it, preventive measures should be taken: ventilate the room, or treat the wound, depending on its nature. If this is a bite, a tourniquet is applied over it, something cooling. The patient should take a horizontal position as soon as possible.

Give your child a dose of antihistamines following the instructions. Give him any of the antihistamines (tavegil, suprastin, claritin). If you do not know what kind of medicine is usually given to a child, give what is available.

Tavegil (syrup) for children 1-3 years old is not given more than 2-2.5 ml twice a day. Patients from 3 to 6 are given no more than 5 ml, and those who are 6 to 12 years old need 5-10 ml. Also, at the age of 6 to 12 years, you can give tablets - one half twice a day, adolescents and adults are given a whole tablet.

Suprastin for those who are 1-12 months old are given 5 mg (0.25 ml), at the age of 2-6 years, the dose increases to 10 mg (0.5 ml), and patients 7-14 years old need 10-20 mg (0.5-1 ml). The daily dose should not exceed 2 mg / kg.

Next, you have to observe the child. It is imperative to regularly measure the indicators of pulse and pressure, frequency and rhythm of breathing.

It is required to remember the exact time of the onset of the development of anaphylactic shock and inform the doctor about it. It is necessary to say as accurately as possible when the manifestations of the disorder began and to mention the names of the medicine that was given to the patient before the arrival of the specialist.

How is anaphylactic shock treated in children?

When diagnosing anaphylactic shock, the child urgently needs an injection of adrenaline. This will help relieve the manifestations of allergies. Usually, patients suffering from such attacks are well aware of their problem. The child is rarely able to use the necessary medicine on his own.

If the reaction occurs for the first time, you need to immediately call an ambulance. Before their arrival, it is necessary to achieve patency of the airway. It is necessary to eliminate mucus and vomit from the oral cavity, to prevent tongue retraction. If the victim is conscious, you can not show him your anxiety. The tone should remain even. If an aerosol inhaler is available, it must be used. It relieves an attack of bronchial asthma, a pill of corticosteroid hormone (prednisone, dexamethasone) will also help. This will help alleviate the symptoms of shock a little, and therefore wait for the doctors to arrive.

The child is immediately positioned lying, with raised limbs. Then the fluid from the heart pump will not drain. Whenever possible, apply an oxygen therapy mask from two to four liters per minute.

Intramuscular or subcutaneous adrenaline is the first step in emergency treatment. Depending on the conditions of care, different forms of the drug are used - standard injections in ampoules, intravenous administration, etc. After hospital treatment, it is necessary to exclude the danger of contact with allergens.

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Author of the article: Pediatrician, Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna