Anaphylaxis quick facts

Swelling of air passages restricts breathing

Usually occurs suddenly

Triggered by-

Food (commonly - nuts, shellfish, coconut oils, strawberries)

insect stings

animal dander

pollen

medications (antibiotics, sulfa,)

unknown causes

reactions can be mild to severe - death may occur if a person's breathing is severely restricted

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Anaphylaxis

Hives

Itching

Rash

Weakness

Nausea/vomiting/ stomach cramps

Metallic taste or tingling in mouth

Dizziness, fainting or sudden weakness

Trouble breathing that includes coughing and/or wheezing

Tightness in chest/throat

Swelling of face/neck/tongue

a sense of doom

Care for Anaphylaxis

Call 911 if the person is having trouble breathing or if the person says that his/her throat is closing

Position victim in the most comfortable position that aids breathing

Administer supplemental oxygen

Have victim use anaphylaxis kit if one is available

Care for Respiratory Distress

Have victim rest in comfortable position

Keep victim from getting chilled or overheated

Reduce heat; add moisture

If authorized, help victim take any medications

Summon more advanced medical personnel

Monitor vital signs

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Prevention notes:

Brightly colored clothing, flowery prints and black attract insects more than white, green, tan or khaki without prints/patterns. Wear shoes and keep arms and legs covered if possible. Long-sleeved shirts and pants work to some degree 24 hours a day, but we counted fifty mosquitos in my husband's back during a lunch stop up on a Mount Rainier trail.

In brush, put your socks up over pant legs.

Perfumes in lotion, suntan lotion, deodorant and other cosmetics attract.

Don't bring clothes camping that have been rinsed or dried with mosquito-attracting scented softeners (plus, dryer sheets can make a greasy stain on clothes if they get stuck to them, and the softeners can decrease the lofting and wicking of garments).

My allergist told me to take vitamin B1 for a month before camping trips, but a brochure on West Nile virus from the Santa Clara County (California) Vector Control District said "Vitamin B1 and ultrasonic devices are not effective in preventing mosquito bites."

Along with adults wearing long sleeved clothing and using an effective repellant, it recommends "place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors with babies."

Food attracts, store it in closed containers; avoid open garbage receptacles. We've had some success when we grill a salmon by leaving the head a bit of a ways aside awhile before we start cooking to attract any yellowjackets to it instead of our meal. (Of course we don't set it where it will simply attract insects to other campers and of course we pick up the head after the meal and we wouldn't do this where or when there was any chance of an animal finding the head.)

A fact sheet on the subject of yellow jackets from the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program said, in part:

"Outdoors do not drink soft drinks or other sugary drinks from open containers. Use cups with lids and straws, and look before you sip. Do not carry snacks containing meat or sugar in open containers.

Avoid going barefoot, especially in vegetation.

Do not squash a yellowjacket. When crushed, many yellowjacket species emit a chemical that can cause other nearby yellowjackets to attack.

Always examine wet towels or wet clothing before you pick them up outdoors."

When camping, shake out your sleeping bag before going to sleep.

insect repellant has answers to questions about the percentage of DEET needed in an effective insect repellant, toxicity allergies, and more.

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Can a person who is prescribed an epi-pen risk going into the wilderness?

Be sure your travel companions know about your allergies, reactions you have previously had and where you keep your (easily accessible, not buried way down in a dry bag) medications.

Be sure you get thorough training from your doctor on when and how to use your epipen(s). There have been adverse reactions, including fatalities, due to inappropriate route of administration or excessive doses.

Consult your doctor first, asking:

if you need to also carry diphenhydramine and prednisone, under what circumstances you would use them,

how many epinephrine doses you should carry, and specific details of when/how you would use more than one. (According to a manufacturer, as many as 35% of people need more than one dose to stop a severe allergic reaction, and the effects of a dose can last for as little as ten minutes. But epinephrine is a powerful cardiac stimulant that if overused can cause severe problems even for people with normal hearts and can be extra dangerous to diabetics.) (A study quoted in the journal Circulation "demonstrated that 20% of anaphylactic reactions are biphasic, with a mean of 10 hours bewteen 2 symptomatic episodes.")

how to store your epi-pen from heat/cold/direct sunlight/breakage

Get the instructions your doctor gives you in writing and pass them on to your traveling companions in case they need to help you.

Take a look at your prescription for discoloration or solid particles and re-check the expiration date well before leaving town in case you have to replace it.

and if these these precautions/guidelines apply to you:

(from Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine Guidelines, March 2010 Edition)

"After injection of epinephrine, and when the patient can breathe and swallow easily, an oral antihistamine should be given, following the directions on the label, to maintain the suppression of the overproduction of histamines. The patient should also be kept well hydrated.

Everyone who knows they are susceptible to severe allergic reactions should carry injectable epinephrine. Epinephrine can be ruined by extremes of cold and heat and needs to be protected from these extremes.

Guidelines for Prevention of Allergies and Anaphylaxis

Every precaution should be taken to avoid contact with allergens. Trip leaders who know party members suffer the possibility of a severe reaction should attempt to avoid taking known allergens on a trip. Individuals on trips who are susceptible to anaphylaxis should carry at least three injections of epinephrine.

Evacuation Guidelines

Mild to moderate reactions that can be managed in the field do not require evacuation. Anyone treated for anaphylaxis should be evacuated rapidly - go fast. During evacuation, the patient should be well hydrated and kept on a regimen of oral antihistamines."

http://www.wildmed.com/pdf/Legal-Structure-of-Teaching-Adminstration-of-Epinephrine.pdf

http://www.wildmed.com/pdf/WMA-Field-Protocols.pdf