Adrenaline treatment for anaphylaxis

Use the prescribed auto-injector when severe allergic features meet the person's emergency plan, and call emergency services straight away. Improvement after the dose does not remove the need for medical assessment.

Adrenaline narrows blood vessels to support blood pressure, relaxes airway muscles and helps limit swelling. These actions target the most immediate threats from anaphylaxis. Temporary trembling, palpitations, headache or anxiety may follow treatment.

Anaphylaxis often presents with sudden breathing difficulty, throat or tongue swelling, wheezing, faintness, collapse, or rapidly progressing symptoms involving several body systems. Hives and flushing may accompany it, but severe airway or circulation problems can appear without a rash.

Inject adrenaline into the outer thigh using the device-specific directions, note the time and alert emergency services. Follow the allergy action plan if symptoms remain severe or reappear and another prescribed injector is available.

While waiting, keep the person flat with raised legs if they can tolerate that position. Someone struggling to breathe can sit with legs extended. An unconscious person who is breathing should be placed in the recovery position; a person not breathing normally needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Ambulance and hospital teams may provide oxygen, fluids or further medicines according to breathing and circulation. Antihistamines can be considered for skin symptoms after the immediate threats are controlled, but they are not substitutes for adrenaline.

Treat throat swelling, breathing difficulty, collapse, marked dizziness or a rapidly worsening multi-system allergic reaction as an emergency. Do not wait for a rash or for the suspected trigger to be identified before following the emergency plan.

Observation after apparent recovery matters because symptoms may return and further treatment may become necessary. The clinical team will decide how long monitoring should continue based on the reaction and response.

Discuss likely triggers, referral for allergy assessment, how many auto-injectors to carry, expiry checks, storage and device training. Ask for a written plan that explains warning symptoms, when to inject, positioning, repeat treatment and who should be taught to help.