Anaphylaxis in Sport

Anaphylaxis is a serious, rapidly progressing allergic reaction that threatens the airway, breathing or circulation, and its first treatment is intramuscular adrenaline given without delay.

It is rare on a pitch, and the commonest failure is delay. Sport changes the picture in 3 ways:

• •Exercise can itself trigger anaphylaxis, sometimes only after a particular food
• •The mimics include exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, exercise-associated collapse and cardiac arrest
• •The adrenaline that saves the athlete is a prohibited stimulant in competition

The wider survey of a collapsed athlete is on Assessing the Collapsed Athlete, and the equipment planning on The Emergency Action Plan.