Anaphylaxis - The Emergency Medical Services for Children Task Force Recommends the Following Sequence for Rapid Assessment
- “Doorway assessment” of the overall appearance, work of breathing, and perfusion
- Airway – Is the airway able to be maintained?
- Breathing – respiratory rate and effort (retractions, grunting, stridor, posturing)
- Circulation – Heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry
- Disability – mental status, Glasgow Coma Scale
- Exposure – remove clothing to evaluate for continued exposure
Use these steps to assess for distributive shock and correct life-threatening abnormalities before continuing with the evaluation and management of the patient.
Fuchs, S., Terry, M., Adelgais, K., Bokholdt, M., Brice, J., Brown, K. M., ... & Marx, M. (2016). Definitions and assessment approaches for emergency medical services for children. Pediatrics,138(6).
These pathways do not establish a standard of care to be followed in every case. It is recognized that each case is different, and those individuals involved in providing health care are expected to use their judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the patient based on the circumstances existing at the time. It is impossible to anticipate all possible situations that may exist and to prepare a pathway for each. Accordingly, these pathways should guide care with the understanding that departures from them may be required at times.