Things You'll Need:
- Nonpermeable, disposable surgical gloves
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Step 1
Call Emergency Medical Services as soon as possible--the victim's condition may worsen quickly and you need to have advanced medical personnel on the way. If instructed by the emergency operator to stay on the line, you should place your phone on speaker and inform him of any changes your victim is experiencing.
Put on your nonpermeable surgical gloves--you must protect yourself from transmittable disease, infection or exposure to the allergen. Gloves must be snug around the fingers and wrist once you have put them on, and remember to never assist anyone without them on. -
Step 2
Note any swelling of the face, especially around the eyes and lips, but also in the hands, feet or neck area. Look for the victim's skin to become itchy, present hives and become red or flushed. Ask your victim if he is experiencing any tingling sensations and where--allergic reactions may make the face, mouth or hands tingle. Pay close attention to what the victim is telling you as this is the best way to determine the severity of an allergic reaction. Look for general symptoms of an allergic reaction by noting itchy, watering eyes, runny nose and your victim reporting a severe headache.
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Step 3
Sit your victim down and stop all activity. This allows you to assess the severity of the reaction. Ask your victim simple questions, determining what he was exposed to and when. Ask questions such as, "Do you have a history of allergies?"; "Do you know what may have caused this?"; "What were you doing when this feeling started?" Gathering this information will be an enormous help in treatment. Report all information gathered to Emergency Medical Services upon arrival.
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Step 4
Monitor your victim's breathing. Breathing is greatly affected by anaphylaxis as the lips, tongue and throat will swell, inevitably closing off the breathing passages. Your victim may report tightness in the chest, be coughing violently, become hoarse or lose his voice entirely and wheeze or make a high-pitched whining sound when breathing. This will assist in properly treating the victim should his condition worsen.
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Step 5
Keep the victim sitting in a comfortable position until emergency medical personnel arrive, monitoring him carefully for any swelling, changes in breathing or loss of consciousness. Anaphylaxis is life threatening but can be successfully treated if recognized immediately.
