Anaphylaxis Campaign updates fact sheet on idiopathic anaphylaxis

The Anaphylaxis Campaign has updated its fact sheet on idiopathic anaphylaxis to more fully detail the causes of the fatal reaction, according to a press release.

“If allergy-like symptoms are present but the cause is a mystery, it is important that a detailed account is kept, noting time, date, location, consumption and activity in the hours leading up to the reaction,” Michael Radcliffe, MD, of the Anaphylaxis Campaign’s Clinical and Scientific Panel, said in a press release. “All these details might help to build a picture of the problem and possibly identify a common thread.”

Idiopathic anaphylaxis occurs when external triggers are present, such as:

food;
lupin;
latex; or
flour contaminated by mites

In rare cases, patients may develop cold-induced urticaria/anaphylaxis, according to researchers. Severe symptoms of the condition include swelling of the throat and/or mouth, difficulty breathing, severe asthma, and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, according to the new fact sheet.

Moreover, clinicians should be aware that other diseases mimic anaphylaxis, such as angioedema, hereditary angioedema, histamine poisoning, and mastocytosis, according to the document.

For more information:

Anaphylaxis Campaign: Idiopathic anaphylaxis. Accessed March 27, 2014.