Influenza vaccines are now available, and I encourage everyone to get their shot, particularly in the current climate. Influenza is very contagious, with the peak number of cases in Australia usually occurring between July to September (see the graph below). Influenza can be particularly serious for babies, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic[…]
Our findings on the mechanism underpinning acute FPIES reactions was published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(19)30605-0/abstract). We found in children having an acute FPIES reaction, there was activation of the innate immune system (this is the part of the immune system normally provides us with rapid defense against pathogens; but[…]
We recently published a study on FPIES in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice (https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(18)30677-9/abstract). This was conducted at the Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney, and we compared the clinical and laboratory features of FPIES with two conditions it is frequently misdiagnosed as – sepsis and gastroenteritis. The main findings were infants with[…]
The management of anaphylaxis is intramuscular adrenaline. The dose required for anaphylaxis is calculated based on the formula = 0.01 mL or mg of a 1:1000 dilution of adrenaline per kg of the patient (maximum dose = 0.5 mg = 500 mcg). Adrenaline auto-injectors allow for the management of anaphylaxis in community settings, and the[…]