Anaphylaxis Center - East Orange, NJ
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AnaphylaxisRead the Anaphylaxis article » Introduction to anaphylaxisAnaphylaxis refers to a rapidly developing and serious allergic reaction that affects a number of different areas of the body at one time. Severe anaphylactic reactions can be fatal. Most people experience allergy symptoms only as a minor annoyance. However, a small number of people are susceptible to a reaction that can lead to shock or even death. Anaphylaxis is often triggered by substances that are injected or ingested and thereby gain access into the blood stream. An explosive reaction involving the skin, lungs, nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract can then result. Although severe cases of anaphylaxis can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure and be fatal if untreated, many reactions are milder and can be ended with prompt medical therapy. What does anaphylaxis mean?To fully understand this term, we need to go back almost 100 years. The story begins on a cruise aboard Prince Albert I of Monaco's yacht. The Prince had invited two Parisian scientists to perform studies on the toxin produced by the tentacles of a local jellyfish, the Portuguese Man of War. Charles Richet and Paul Portier were able to isolate the toxin and tried to vaccinate dogs in the hope of obtaining protection, or "prophylaxis," against the toxin. They were horrified to find that subsequent very small doses of the toxin unexpectedly resulted in a new dramatic illness that involved the rapid onset of breathing difficulty and resulted in death within 30 minutes. Richet and Portier termed this "anaphylaxis" or "against protection." They rightly concluded that the immune system first becomes sensitized to the allergen over several weeks and upon re-exposure to the same allergen may result in a severe reaction. An allergen is a substance that is foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people. All... Recommended Reading Related to AnaphylaxisFirst AidFirst aid is the assistance given to an injured or sick person in need of urgent medical assistance. First aid applies to a broad range of medical situations and consists both of specific knowledge and skills (for example, what to do for each type of injury or illness) and the ability to assess a situation and make appropriate decisions (such as when to call for emergency medical assistance). Preparedness is a key element of first aid. While every home, auto, and boat should be equipped with a basic emergency kit that includes first aid supplies and a first aid manual, special circumstances may necessitate more advanced or specific degrees of preparation for an emergency. For example, residents of certain geographic areas where natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, landslides, or tsunamis) may occur should prepare for emergencies by assembling disaster preparedness kits such as earthquake kits, ... Other Related Anaphylaxis ArticlesEmergency Contact for East Orange
Nearby East Orange Hospitals * East Orange General Hospital  East Orange Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System  The University Hospital  Clara Maass Medical Center  Clara Maass Medical Center West Hudson  Children's Hospital of New Jersey  St James Hospital of Newark  Newark Beth Israel Medical Center  Mountainside Hospital  Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation West Orange  Saint Barnabas Medical Center  Essex County Hospital Center  Trinitas Hospital Williamson Campus  Trinitas Hospital New Point Campus  Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center  Bayonne Medical Center  Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital  Overlook Hospital  Christ Hospital  Summit Oaks Hospital  St Mary's Hospital  Jersey City Medical Center  Hoboken University Medical Center  Children's Specialized Hospital Mountainside  St Joseph's Children's Hospital  St Joseph's Regional Medical Center  Richmond University Medical Center  Kindred Hospital New Jersey Rahway  Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway  St Vincent's Hospital & Medical Center of New York  Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Saddle Brook  New York Downtown Hospital  Palisades Medical Center  St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center  Beth Israel Medical Center Petrie Division  Hackensack University Medical Center  Select Specialty Hospital Northeast New Jersey  New York Eye & Ear Infirmary  Bayley Seton Campus  NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases  Long Island College Hospital  VA New York Harbor Healthcare System New York Campus  Bellevue Hospital Center  NYU Langone Medical Center  Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine  Kindred Hospital New Jersey Wayne  Lutheran Medical Center  St Joseph's Wayne Hospital  Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hospital  Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County  Lenox Hill Hospital  The Brooklyn Hospital Center  Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center  New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Campus  The Rockefeller University Hospital  St Lukes Hospital  Gracie Square Hospital  Holy Name Hospital  Hospital for Special Surgery  Morristown Memorial Hospital  Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute  New York Methodist Hospital  Woodbridge Development Center  Coler Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility  Maimonides Medical Center  Staten Island University Hospital North Site  Metropolitan Hospital Center  The Mount Sinai Medical Center  North General Hospital  South Beach Psychiatric Center  Brooklyn Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System  Chilton Memorial Hospital  Harlem Hospital Center  Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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Shock (Medical)
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