What should you know about IV adrenaline for anaphylaxis?

Adrenaline helps support blood pressure, reduce swelling in the airways and improve breathing during anaphylaxis. It is usually given into a muscle first. An intravenous dose may be considered in a hospital when the reaction remains severe or circulation and breathing need advanced support. The medicine enters the bloodstream quickly, so clinicians use careful dosing and continuous checks of the heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level and response.

Use an adrenaline auto-injector if one has been prescribed and follow its instructions. Call emergency services, lie down with legs raised if comfortable, and avoid standing or walking suddenly. If breathing is difficult, sit with the upper body raised. Do not give food or drink to someone who is struggling to breathe. Hospital teams may add oxygen, fluids and other medicines while watching for symptoms to return.

Anaphylaxis needs emergency help for sudden breathing difficulty, wheezing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, collapse, or symptoms affecting more than one body system after an exposure. Symptoms can worsen quickly even if they improve briefly after an auto-injector. Emergency assessment is also needed after adrenaline has been used, because observation and further treatment may be required.

Ask which symptoms should prompt your emergency plan, whether you need more than one auto-injector, how to store and use it, and whether allergy testing could help identify a trigger.