Emergency treatment of anaphylaxis in infants and children

Anaphylaxis is a severe, acute and potentially life-threatening condition, often in response to an allergen. Patients experiencing anaphylaxis can present with cutaneous, respiratory, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal manifestations. Epinephrine given intramuscularly remains the mainstay of treatment for this condition. Other second-line therapies, such as inhaled beta-2 agonists, H1 and H2 receptor antagonists and corticosteroids, may play a role in resolving respiratory and cutaneous signs and symptoms. Biphasic reactions may occur during the resolution phase of symptoms and, thus, all patients should be observed for a minimum of 4 h to 6 h before discharge from hospital. On discharge, all patients should be prescribed epinephrine autoinjectors, and referred to an allergist or immunologist for further evaluation and education.