Anaphylactic shock is considered a severe clinical issue that has vital complications to a human being. According to Pflipsen & Vega Colon (2020), anaphylaxis “is a life-threatening systemic reaction, normally occurring within one to two hours of exposure to an allergen” (p. 355). Being a relatively common complication among patients, anaphylactic shock has symptomology similar to a regular allergic reaction. Thus, common symptoms of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis include swelling, nausea, vomiting, rash, and abdominal and back pain (Randall, 2018). Still, there is a fundamental difference between a common allergic reaction and its extreme counterpart.
Anaphylactic shock latter explicitly tackles the respiratory and cardiac systems of a patient. Hence, it causes the reaction to extrapolate to other vital organs and block their function (Poziomkowska-Gęsicka & Kurek, 2020). The symptoms of cardiac dysfunction are manifested through pale skin, listlessness, and dizziness. Respiratory issues, for their part, could be identified through swelling of the throat, breathing complications, chest pain, and persistent severe cough (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Hence, in order to define anaphylactic shock, nurses are to pay close attention to these clinical manifestations.
The first important step in terms of managing anaphylactic shock is to stop the administration of any present drugs and inform the physician on the matter. After this, the nurse should follow a protocol of behaving in the event of anaphylactic shock (Randall, 2018). The most widespread procedure of the protocols is the administration of oxygen and resuscitative medications that secure the restoration of vital body functions. One of the most common resuscitative medications is epinephrine, also known under the title EpiPen, as this medication tends to stimulate both cardiac activity and respiratory function.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Recognizing and responding to anaphylaxis[PDF document]. Web.
Pflipsen, M. C., & Vega Colon, K. M. (2020). Anaphylaxis: Recognition and management. American Family Physician, 102(6), 355-362. PMID: 32931210.
Poziomkowska-Gęsicka, I., & Kurek, M. (2020). Clinical manifestations and causes of anaphylaxis. Analysis of 382 cases from the anaphylaxis registry in West Pomerania Province in Poland.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8). Web.
Randall, J. (2018). Cellular and immunological complexities. In Pathophysiology clinical applications for client health [E-book]. Grand Canyon University. Web.