Obsgynaecritcare

Hi everyone! Better late than never. This week Chong and I have finally got around to our discussion on anaphylaxis. What are the common causes of anaphylaxis? How is the severity of anaphylaxis graded? How / when should we administer adrenaline and what are the pitfalls of this drug which has a  narrow therapeutic window? We focus mainly on discussing the common causes in hospital and particularly the peri-operative setting. Peri-operative anaphylaxis is now the leading cause of direct anaesthetic related death in Australia / NZ. We do offer a few quick thoughts on the common causes and management of anaphylaxis in the community (how many of you have been asked to help manage these reactions for example on a plane at a school or community event - where invariably someone says get so and so they're a doctor / nurse!). If you haven't I suspect it will only be a matter of time before someone ingests a peanut on a flight you're on! Do you know how to use an epi-pen? They are pretty straight forward but nice