[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medical–surgical nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/med-surg/) › Allergy history, latex safety and anaphylaxis on the ward: the first nursing response # Allergy history, latex safety and anaphylaxis on the ward: the first nursing response - Assessment The nurse records every allergy, keeps latex away from allergic patients and, if anaphylaxis starts, stops the trigger, calls for help and prepares epinephrine. Updated Nov 13, 2026 ## Key points - Ask about allergies to medicines, foods, latex and other substances, and record what reaction happened. - If the patient is allergic to a prescribed medicine, do not prepare it: notify the prescriber. - In anaphylaxis: stop the trigger, call for help, assess airway, breathing and circulation, and prepare intramuscular epinephrine per protocol. - Epinephrine into the outer thigh muscle is first-line; antihistamines and corticosteroids are second-line. - A very hoarse or whispered voice can mean dangerous throat swelling. - A second (biphasic) reaction can follow: about half occur within 6–12 hours. ## What it is Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction that often begins within seconds or minutes of the trigger: a medicine, a food, a sting or latex. On the ward, prevention starts with a careful allergy history, a visible record and a latex-safe environment for patients who need it. When a reaction starts, the first minutes matter: remove the trigger, call for help, assess airway, breathing and circulation, and give intramuscular epinephrine, the first-line treatment, according to the institutional protocol. Antihistamines and corticosteroids are second-line and never replace it. Because a second reaction can follow hours later, the patient keeps being observed after improving. ## Reference values - Signs of anaphylaxis: hives, itching or redness; swelling of the face, eyes or tongue; wheeze, cough or chest tightness; dizziness; nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea; slurred speech or collapse. - Hospital items that may contain latex: some gloves, catheters and tubing, tourniquets, medicine vials, elastic bandages. - Higher risk of latex allergy: health workers, people who have had many operations, people with spina bifida or urinary tract defects. - Some people with latex allergy also react to foods such as banana, avocado or chestnut. ## How to measure it (and why) - On admission, ask about allergies to medicines, foods, latex and others, and what reaction happened: the reaction type shows how serious it was. - Record the allergy in the chart and tell pharmacy and food services: they must not use the trigger or latex gloves when preparing medicines or food. - Check the allergy record before every medicine; if the patient is allergic to it, do not prepare it and notify the prescriber. - For latex allergy, use non-latex gloves and equipment, remove latex items from the room and place a sign as the institution allows. - If a reaction starts during a medicine or infusion, stop it at once and call for help: removing the trigger limits the reaction. - Assess airway, breathing, circulation, consciousness and skin; start CPR if needed. - Prepare intramuscular epinephrine as the doctor orders or as the anaphylaxis protocol states: it is the first-line treatment. - Lay the patient flat; sit them up if breathing is hard, on the left side if pregnant, in the recovery position if unconscious. - Give nothing by mouth if breathing is difficult; give oxygen, help place a wide-bore IV line and monitor vital signs often, as ordered. - Keep observing after the patient improves and record and report the event: a second reaction can follow hours later. ## How to read it - Hives or swelling together with breathing trouble, dizziness or collapse after a trigger point to a whole-body reaction, not a simple rash. - Mild latex reactions: dry itchy skin, hives, watery eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat. Severe: trouble breathing or swallowing, fainting, signs of shock. - Breathing in powder from latex gloves can also trigger a reaction. - A reaction to an injected medicine can appear within minutes or even days. ## Next step: when to call for help - Breathing difficulty, throat swelling, a hoarse voice, falling blood pressure or collapse: call the emergency team at once. - Hives or swelling after a new medicine: stop it, notify the doctor and file the incident report. - Symptoms coming back hours after the patient improved: call the doctor at once. - Before discharge after anaphylaxis, check that the team has planned an epinephrine auto-injector, a written action plan and an allergy referral. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, and where is it given? Epinephrine by intramuscular injection into the outer thigh, as ordered or per the institutional protocol. Antihistamines and corticosteroids are second-line. ## What does the nurse do first if a reaction starts during an infusion? Stops the infusion to remove the trigger, calls for help and assesses airway, breathing and circulation. ## Why is a patient still observed after recovering from anaphylaxis? A second (biphasic) reaction can follow; about half occur within 6–12 hours. ## Which patients have a higher risk of latex allergy? Health workers, people who have had many operations, and people with spina bifida or urinary tract defects. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/allergy-history-latex-safety-and-anaphylaxis-on-the-ward-the-first-nursing-respo/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Latex and drug allergy](https://durgical.com/en/immunology/latex-and-drug-allergy/) ## Connections ## Related 2 - [The rights of medication administration](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-rights-of-medication-administration/) - [Recognising deterioration and calling the rapid response team](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/recognising-deterioration-and-calling-the-rapid-response-team/) ## Related conditions 2 - [Anaphylaxis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/anaphylaxis/) - [Urticaria and angioedema](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/urticaria-and-angioedema/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Anaphylaxis](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000844.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025); [Latex allergies - for hospital patients](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000499.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025); [World Allergy Organization Anaphylaxis Guidance 2020 (World Allergy Organization Journal, open access)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7607509/) (World Allergy Organization, via PubMed Central, 2020); [Nursing Skills (Open RN), 18.7 Applying the nursing process (parenteral medications)](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/18:_Administration_of_Parenteral_Medications/18.07:_Applying_the_Nursing_Process) (Open RN, Wisconsin Technical College System, via LibreTexts (CC BY 4.0), 2021). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/allergy-history-latex-safety-and-anaphylaxis-on-the-ward-the-first-nursing-respo/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/allergy-history-latex-safety-and-anaphylaxis-on-the-ward-the-first-nursing-respo/