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Surgical Intensive Care Medicine pp 807–824Cite as

Hypersensitivity Reactions

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Abstract

Egyptian hieroglyphics describe the sudden death of a pharaoh following a wasp sting in 2640 BC, possibly the first recorded account of an anaphylactic reaction (1,2). Anaphylaxis is the most extreme, life-threatening systemic manifestation of a hypersensitivity reaction that occurs in a sensitized host who is re-exposed to an inciting antigen. The yearly incidence of anaphylactic reactions in the general population is about 1 per 2.5 million people (3). In the hospitalized population, where exposure to allergenic substances is more common, the incidence may be as high as 1 per 1,700 patients (4). Other less severe forms of hypersensitivity reactions occur with even greater frequency. Accordingly, familiarity with hypersensitivity reactions, especially anaphylaxis, is extremely important in caring for critically ill patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Maged S. Mikhail M.D.

  2. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Delbert R. Black M.S., M.D.

Authors
  1. Maged S. Mikhail M.D.
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  2. Delbert R. Black M.S., M.D.
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Department of Surgical Critical Care, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA

    John Merritt O’Donnell M.D. (Director, Chairman) (Director, Chairman)

  2. Department of Surgical Critical Care, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA

    Flávio Eduardo Nácul M.D. (Senior Fellow) (Senior Fellow)

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Mikhail, M.S., Black, D.R. (2001). Hypersensitivity Reactions. In: O’Donnell, J.M., Nácul, F.E. (eds) Surgical Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6645-5_52

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6645-5_52

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6647-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-6645-5

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