Thank you for highlighting the nurse’s role in a clinical setting, regarding anaphylaxis. I was faced with this when working an immunization event at a college campus, just prior to the start of their fall semester. I was working for Immunize Northern Nevada and we would provide immunizations at various locations throughout the northern part of the state. I had been participating in this for quite sometime and had never had an issue arise until the fall of 2021, at the college.
An incoming student came to us for her influenza vaccine. After receiving a vaccine, patients are required to remain in view for 15 minutes, in order to monitor for any adverse reactions. Within that 15 minutes, she reported feeling unwell. This included feelings of itchiness, hives, elevated respiratory rate, hypotension, and syncopy. After assessing the girl, a member of our clinical team call 911. Another member provided IM antihistamine followed by an epi-pen injection. We prepared oxygen therapy but the ambulance had already arrived and the patient’s vital signs began to stabilize. She did go to the hospital by way of ambulance. What happened from there, I do no know.
Anaphylactic reaction to an influenza vaccine is incredibly rare at a rate of 1.35 cases per million doses (Kim, et. al., 2020). However, due to the amount of vaccines given yearly, it is important to be aware of the possibility and be armed with life saving tools, when working with vaccine administration.
Kim, M. J., Shim, D. H., Cha, H. R., Kim, C. B., Kim, S. Y., Park, J. H., Sohn, M. H., Lee, J. M., & Kim, K. W. (2020). Delayed-Onset Anaphylaxis Caused by IgE Response to Influenza Vaccination. Allergy, asthma & immunology research, 12(2), 359–363. https://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2020.12.2.359
Struggling with online classes or exams? Get expert help to ace your coursework, assignments, and tests stress-free!