1. Is the patient currently sick? 2. Has there previously been an allergic reaction to a vaccine? 3. Is there any history of allergic reactions, severe allergies, immune disorders or convulsions? 4. Will I recognize an allergic reaction to a vaccine? 5. Can I obtain the manufacturer name and lot number of the medicine being used? 6. Is there an alternative?
If you are interested in alternatives to vaccinations you will need to look around for a doctor who is interested in alternative medicine.
Allergic reactions to vaccines can happen to anyone, child or adult, even if there has never been a reaction before. Knowing what the reactions are and how to spot them is necessary so you understand the treatment that is necessary or if you need to consult the doctor.
Early in life children are given the DTaP vaccine. This is the abbreviation for Diptheria, Tetamus and Pertussis. The diseases are a great deal more dangerous than the vaccine, however they can still cause some side effects.
A mild allergic reaction may include fever, redness or swelling and possible tenderness and soreness at the pace where the injection was given. Generally after the 4th or 5th shot the side effects are more evident.
Other mild reactions that you may see are poor appetite, tiredness, fussiness and vomiting. Now there are some allergic reactions that are very rare, however they are severe and should be watched. These include high fever, seizures, coma, non-stop crying or possible brain damage.
The Hepatitis A vaccine causes some mild reactions such as headache, loss of appetite, soreness where the shot is given and tiredness that can last up to 2 days. For the Hepatitis B vaccine the reactions are similar, however there may be a slight fever. Although rare, more severe allergic reactions would appear within a few minutes to a few hours.
Reactions to the Hib vaccine include warmth, swelling and redness where injected and generally a fever of over 101. This may all begin within a day or so and last up to 3 days.
Once vaccine the HPV has only mild reactions that include redness and possible swelling and pain at the site of the injection along with some itching and mild to moderate fever. There do not seem to be any serious allergic reactions to this vaccine.
A very common vaccine that is used for adults and children alike is the Flu vaccine. There are some mild allergic reactions to this vaccine, however rarely any serious problems arise.
The flu virus itself has been deactivated so that you don't actually get the flu from the flu shot. The most common reactions include redness, swelling and soreness.
You may even experience flu like symptoms with aches, pains and a slight fever that can last for a couple of days. If there is a more severe allergic reaction it will usually appear within a few hours of receiving the injection.
The vaccine that is given to children to fight against mumps, measles and rubella is the MMR vaccine. The allergic reactions are from mild to moderate and there is a bit of hullabaloo about whether or not is have been linked with the onset of autism.
The reactions that are mild include swelling of the glands in the neck and cheeks, although rare, a mild rash and fever. The more severe allergic reactions include temporary stiffness and pain in the joints, seizures and low platelet count that causes a bleeding disorder.
A severely debilitating disease that once left it's victims with physical disabilities and paralysis has been all but eliminated since the creation of the Polio vaccine. The inactivated polio vaccine, referred to as IPV, should never be given to someone that has had a prior allergic reaction to streptomycin, neomycin, polmyxin or IPV.
Childhood vaccinations and immunizations has become a controversial issue. If you are concerned, do some research before allowing your child to be given any vaccine. Also, you can choose to make several visits to the doctor for these shots so your child is not given more than 1 or 2 vaccines each visit.
Although the exact incidence of medication allergies is unknown, serious allergic reactions to medications cause the most allergy-associated deaths in the United States every year. Common medications that induce allergic reactions include antibiotics and some heart medications, though there are many other drugs that can cause an allergic response.
The symptoms of an allergic response to medications can range from a rash to life-threatening anaphylaxis, and so it is important to see a doctor who can correctly diagnose a medication allergy and recommend ways to prevent and treat the allergy.
Incidence
In the United States, approximately 550,000 serious allergic reactions to medications occur in a given year in hospitals.1 While it is unclear how prevalent drug allergies are among the general population, allergic reactions to medications cause the highest number of documented deaths from anaphylaxis each year. Penicillin alone accounts for an estimated 75% of the known annual U.S. anaphylaxis deaths.2,3 Most deaths occur in people who have had no medical history of allergic reactions.4
Common Culprits
The most common medications that cause allergic reactions (called allergenic medications) are:
Penicillin Sulfa antibiotics Allopurinol Seizure and anti-arrhythmia medications Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as aspirin and ibuprofen) Muscle relaxants Certain post-surgery fluids Other medications known to cause severe allergic reactions include vaccines, radiocontrast media, antihypertensives, insulin, and blood products.
For example, radiocontrast media (which are so-called "dyes" that are administered before radiologic procedures) are estimated to cause as many as 900 deaths per year from anaphylactoid reactions.5 Anaphylactoid reactions are nearly identical to anaphylaxis but are not triggered by IgE mediation. Anaphylactoid reactions are treated in the same manner as anaphylaxis.
Symptoms
People can experience a wide range of adverse reactions to medication, from drowsiness and nausea to kidney damage or respiratory distress. The most common allergic response is a measles-like rash that does not occur in conjunction with production of the antibodies that can cause anaphylaxis.5 By contrast, systemic allergic reactions that can cause anaphylaxis are mediated by an immune system response that attacks what the body perceives as a foreign substance. This response can cause symptoms such as:
Itching Hives Swelling of the throat Asthma A drop in blood pressure Irregular heart rhythm Nausea Vomiting Abdominal cramping Loss of consciousness Death
Diagnosing a Medication Allergy
People should see an allergist at the first sign of an allergic reaction to a medication in order to obtain proper treatment, diagnosis, and medical counsel to avert future reactions (see Find an Allergist for help in locating an allergist near you).
Proper diagnosis may confirm that a patient is allergic to a medication. In this case, physicians will recommend substituting other medications and strictly avoiding the allergenic medication. If no suitable alternative is available, a physician may recommend that a patient undergo desensitization, a process of progressive administration of an allergen intended to reduce reactivity. However, this process offers only temporary desensitization and carries inherent risks of anaphylaxis. Diagnostic methods and their reliability will vary depending on the type of medication suspected of causing a patient's allergic symptoms.
Penicillin and insulin Standard skin-prick tests are available, and can determine with a high degree of accuracy whether or not a patient is allergic and likely to react to penicillin or insulin. For example, 97% to 99% of people who test negative to penicillin will tolerate the antibiotic even if they have reacted previously. However, a positive skin test in a person who has exhibited allergic symptoms predicts a 50% or greater risk of an immediate reaction to penicillin and indicates that a patient should receive an alternative medication or undergo desensitization.5
A skin prick test may be used to identify allergens. This test involves injecting tiny amounts of diluted medication solutions into the skin. If the person is allergic to the particular medication sample injected then the skin will react within 15 to 20 minutes, usually with a hive-like swelling surrounded by redness.
Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, radiocontrast materials, local anesthetics and other medications Conventional skin tests (e.g., intracutaneous, into the skin, or subcutaneous, under the skin) and oral challenges are sometimes used to help assess a patient's reactivity for most other medications.
Regardless of method, there is some risk involved when being tested for a medication allergy, which is why diagnostic tests should be performed by a certified allergist-immunologist (see Find an Allergist to locate a specialist near you) in an environment equipped with epinephrine and emergency resuscitative equipment to handle an anaphylaxis emergency.
Prevention and Treatment
The mainstay of preventing an allergic response to medications is to avoid all medications that you have been diagnosed as being allergic. When avoidance isn't possible or a new medication allergy arises, it should be treated immediately with epinephrine and followed up with emergency medical care.
Avoidance Despite the fact that most reactions occur in people with no previous history of reactions to medication, and the fact that most people lose their sensitivity to common anaphylaxis culprits such as penicillin, avoidance of medications that trigger allergic reactions is still a mainstay in protecting patients against anaphylaxis. Key aspects of avoiding medication triggers include:
Keeping a complete medical history of reactions to medications and results of diagnostic tests, and sharing these with physicians and pharmacists so they can help ensure that inappropriate medications are not prescribed, dispensed, or administered. Wearing a medical identification bracelet to inform medical personnel of your allergies in the event that you are unable to communicate your medical history to them. Finally, especially for people allergic to over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen, which are often included in cold and allergy products, avoidance means reading medication labels carefully to make sure that you do not expose yourself inadvertently to the medication that causes your reactions. Epinephrine Not all reactions to a medication occur in a hospital or medical facility. Most medications are taken at home. Therefore, a person who has a severe drug allergy will need to be prepared to treat an allergic reaction by always keeping self-injectable epinephrine, such as the EpiPen? or EpiPen? Jr auto-injector, in several places that are easily accessible in the event of a reaction. The treatment of choice for allergic reactions to medications, which can swiftly lead to anaphylaxis, is an immediate injection of epinephrine followed by emergency medical attention.6
Side effects of epinephrine may include palpitations, tachycardia (an abnormally fast heartbeat), sweating, nausea and vomiting, and respiratory difficulty. Cardiac arrhythmias may follow administration of epinephrine. Patients should ask their physician about the circumstances under which this life-saving medication should be used.
Emergency medical care Even after administering epinephrine, emergency medical treatment should be sought at once because severely allergic people experiencing anaphylaxis may need emergency respiratory or cardiac care, or even to be resuscitated if they stop breathing altogether. More commonly, these patients will need professional care to determine whether additional epinephrine, steroids, antihistamines, or other treatments are required. In any case, follow-up diagnosis and care by medical professionals after administration of epinephrine is critical for recovery. Delayed or secondary reactions do occur, and patients should remain under medical supervision for at least 4 hours after an episode of anaphylaxis. For more information please visit : http://www.epipen.com
Both Carol Stack & Epi Pen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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