Summary
- Most reactions are from peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soya. Symptoms usually appear within 20 minutes of ingestion and nearly always within 2 hours.
- Symptoms and signs may vary from pruritus and mild cutaneous eruption to severe anaphylactic respiratory, GI, or cardiovascular (e.g., hypotensive) manifestations.
- Epinephrine (adrenaline) given by intramuscular injection is the treatment of choice for severe systemic symptoms (anaphylaxis); lesser reactions are managed with a range of therapies from simple withdrawal of suspected food allergen to oral antihistamines.
- Patients should be encouraged to obtain medical identification jewellery, be knowledgeable of the incipient signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, be trained how to use self-injectable epinephrine (adrenaline), and know how to activate emergency response services.
Other related conditions
- Assessment of food allergies and sensitivities
- Anaphylaxis
- Urticaria and angio-oedema
- Asthma in children
- Acute asthma exacerbation in children
- Asthma in adults
- Acute asthma exacerbation in adults
- Contact dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Assessment of eosinophilia
- Food poisoning
- Viral gastroenteritis
- Viral gastroenteritis in children
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Coeliac disease
- Toxic ingestions in children
- Serotonin syndrome
- Overview of substance abuse and overdose
- Hiatal hernia
- Pyloric stenosis
- Tracheo-oesophageal fistula
- Hirschsprung's disease
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- Cholecystitis
Last updated: Sep 26, 2012
