Article
Article
Anaphylaxis
Article By:
Bar-Sela, Shlomo Department of Medicine, Allergy-Immunology Section, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fink, Jordan N. Allergy-Immunology Section, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Last reviewed:February 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.032300
A generalized or localized tissue reaction occurring within minutes of an antigen-antibody reaction. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction and immune response that can be life-threatening. Similar reactions elicited by nonimmunologic mechanisms are termed anaphylactoid reactions. The term anaphylaxis was introduced by Charles R. Richet to describe acute adverse reactions that followed reinjection of an eel toxin into dogs. Instead of becoming immune (nonreacting) to the toxin, the animals developed severe and often fatal congestion and hemorrhage of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, pleura, and endocardium. See also: Allergy; Antibody; Antigen; Antigen-antibody reaction; Immunology
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