Allergic reactions differ in severity

Allergic reactions can cause a variety of symptoms, and range from mild to moderate reactions, to severe and life-threatening (anaphylaxis). Having an action plan filled out by your doctor gives a symptom and treatment guide to follow. Susceptible individuals and their families should be able to recognise the signs of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and know what to do in an emergency.

Mild to moderate allergic reaction

For children and adults with, eg, food allergies that are not normally severe (and do not normally require use of an adrenaline auto-injector), view the Allergic reaction action plan - this should be filled out by your doctor with personalised details.

Accessing plans: The action plans are pdf files. If you have any difficulty accessing the plan from the link above, you can also access direct from ASCIA (the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy).

Severe allergic reaction

If you or your child is known to have a severe allergic reaction to a particular food (or insect), see the Anaphylaxis action plan for adults and children, which also includes details on the administration of EpiPen or Anapen adrenaline auto-injectors. The plan also covers a severe reaction to insects. The plans are designed to be filled out by a doctor with the personal details of the child or adult who is at risk.

The Action Plans are reproduced with permission of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). The plans were updated by ASCIA in 2011. Reviewed by everybody, January 2012.