Motivation
Anaphylaxis is a dramatic and sometimes catastrophic immune response. On its own terms, it is important to recognize and understand. It can be life threatening, as an overwhelming response in a sensitized patient. Sensitization can come from many sources, insect stings, medications or foods. This presentation will look at the medical considerations of Anaphylactic Shock.
As an instructive tool, anaphylaxis demonstrates a number of components and mechanisms of the immune system. This should lead to an understanding of specific immune responses such as the hypersensitive responses. Studying anaphylaxis can lead to some of the more general components of the adaptive immune system, as we present the allergen/antibody interaction, and some of the important cells of the immune system including B Cells, T Cells and Mast Cells.