Allergy laboratory

Case Study

Acute Anaphylaxis

The first course of action was to alleviate the patient’s immediate symptoms. The man was given oxygen via a mask to increase his blood oxygen levels and he was given an injection of adrenalin that reversed the drop in blood pressure and decreased airway obstruction. In addition, he was given an injection of anti-histamine drugs to stop mast cell activity. Finally, the patient was given anti-inflammatory drugs and intravenous fluid to increase circulating blood volume.

After the patient’s condition had stabilised, the doctor tried to find out what substance had caused the reaction. It was agreed that a skin prick test would not be advisable in this case as exposing the patient again to the allergen could cause another anaphylactic response. Instead, a sample was sent to the immunology laboratory to test for latex and banana specific IgE levels using the IMMUNOCAP method. The results of this test revealed the presence of IgE specific for bananas and very high levels for latex.

What action should the patient take after being advised of their sensitivity to Latex in addition to banana?

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