Mum shares photo of daughter’s deadly allergic reaction to show parents what anaphylactic shock really looks like
Julie Berghaus' little daughter went into anaphylaxis after eating a cashew and needed umpteen EpiPen shots
IF your child suddenly had a life-threatening reaction to something, would you know what to do about it?
The chances are that unless you've been briefed about anaphylactic shock before, you'd have no idea.
Which is why one mum has shared a scary photo of her daughter mid-anaphylactic shock.
With timing being absolutely critical in saving someone from anaphylactic shock, Julie Ferrier Berghaus wants to educate parents about what it looks like, so that they can give their kids their EpiPens without delay.
Julie's daughter has a cashew nut allergy and was taking part in a trial led by her allergist when she went into anaphylaxis.
Despite Julie having seen reactions before, her daughter's shock looked nothing like what she had expected.
"It looked nothing like I expected it to look,"the Texan mum wrote on.
"It was nothing like they show on TV. I’ve seen allergic reactions in the hospital to medications as well, anaphylaxis didn’t look like that either. I hope I can educate some people on what anaphylaxis could look like, so they don’t wait to give epi."
Her daughter's first symptom was itchy ears, and then she started to complain of a belly ache.
She was given a shot from her EpiPen which calmed everything for ten minutes, but after that, she started to itch again.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis
Think you know what an anaphylaxic shock looks like? It might be a lot more subtle than you think.
Initial symptoms can include:
- Sneezing
- Tingling sensations of lips, tongue and throat
- Feeling unwell with light-headedness
- Swelling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Itchy rash
- Swelling of the face, throat or skin)
- Acute abdominal pain
- Exacerbation of eczema
- Anaphylactic shock
Anaphylactic shock tends to come on suddenly and gets worse very quickly.
Symptoms include:
- Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or faint
- Fast or shallow breathing
- Wheezing
- A fast heartbeat
- Clammy skin
- Confusion and anxiety
- Collapsing or losing consciousness
"Upon inspection, her entire body was quickly breaking out in severe hives before our very eyes," said Julie.
"She quickly became covered in huge hives. They gave her a shot of prednisolone at this point. She was still playing, and not showing signs of distress.
"Around five minutes later, she started coughing a little bit. We couldn’t hear her breathing hard or wheezing at all."
They called a nurse who listened with her stethoscope and could hear wheezing and tightness.
Despite her vitals suggesting that the child was in trouble, she continued playing.
"It all changed moments later. They laid her down quickly, and she then started blacking out."
A few shots later, she started to come around.
"She had to be watched for many hours afterwards, because anaphylaxis can return in a second round, just as severe as the first, so always call 911 for observation!
What to do in an anaphylaxis emergency
According to, it's absolutely vital that someone having a reaction gets their shot.
They have to have it as soon as a reaction is suspected, and an ambulance has to be called ASAP.
Administer the shot first and then call 999 immediately after.
What to do:
- Try to ensure that a person suffering an allergic reaction remains as still as possible
- Preferably they should be lying down and if they are feeling weak, dizzy or appear pale and sweating their legs should be raised
- When dialling 999, say that the person is suffering from anaphylaxis (anna-fill-axis)
- Give clear and precise directions to the emergency operator, including the postcode of your location
- If adrenaline has been given, make a note of the time this was administered. A second dose can be given after five minutes if there has been no improvement
- If the person’s condition deteriorates after making the initial 999 call, a second call to the emergency services should be made to ensure an ambulance has been dispatched
- Send someone outside to direct the ambulance crew when they arrive
- Try to ascertain what food or substance may have caused the reaction and ensure the ambulance crew knows this
"Anyways, it was nothing like we expected to see.
"It snuck up on us so unexpectedly and quietly. I expected to see choking, gasping, hear wheezing, and see her grabbing at her chest and neck area. I expected the entire ordeal to be very fast and obvious and dramatic.
"It was actually very silent, and she didn’t show any severe trouble until very late in the game."
Julie said that had her daughter not been given med before she blacked out, her reaction could have been a lot more severe.
If in doubt, she warned, give kids a shot of their EpiPens.
"She had zero side effects from the epi. It could save her life - much rather safe than sorry. There is NO danger in giving the epi to her even if she ended up not in a true reaction.
"Epi will NOT harm here, even if it wasn't needed."
She also warned parents to remember to call for an ambulance after the first EpiPen shot.
"There are so many other meds that she needed to save her other than just the Epi.
"You can give a SECOND EPI in five to 15 minutes if (the emergency services) haven't arrived and she still has symptoms.
"Don't be afraid of the EpiPen PLEASE!!"
MORE ON ALLERGIES
She also said that if you only have out of date pens, still use them.
"EpiPens that were five to seven years past expiration date still had more than 70 per cent of the original dose remaining in the device."
According to , anaphylaxis-type reactions happen in around one in 1,000 people, with peanut allergies affecting around 2 per cent of kids in the UK.
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