Anaphylaxis in Infants

Abstract

Anaphylaxis is an extremely dangerous systemic hypersensitivity reaction that develops rapidly and can be fatal. Infants make up the most difficult group of patients with anaphylaxis, given the first episode of reaction occurring at an early age, there are age-related difficulties in interpreting complaints, unpredictability of clinical symptoms, prolonged process of diagnosis, and prescribing the appropriate treatment. These factors determine the risk of fatal outcomes, even in case of nearly healthy infants. For this group of patients, such problems as lack of available diagnostic tests, limited standard doses of epinephrine autoinjectors, the absence of predictors of occurrence, and severity of systemic allergic reactions are still relevant. This chapter presents the available information on the prevalence of anaphylaxis, the most common triggers, diagnosis, clinical symptoms, severity, and treatment in infants.