Anaphylactic shock

What it means

An acute hypersensitivity reaction due to exposure to a previously encountered antigen.

Anaphylaxis may lead to rapidly progressing urticaria, respiratory distress, vascular collapse, systemic shock, and death if untreated.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this8

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Anaphylactic reaction · Anaphylactoid-type reaction