anaphylactic shock

noun

Definition of anaphylactic shock

: an often severe and sometimes fatal systemic reaction in a susceptible individual upon exposure to a specific antigen (such as wasp venom or penicillin) after previous sensitization that is characterized especially by respiratory symptoms, fainting, itching, and hives

Examples of anaphylactic shock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Twice in the past year Sophie has gone into anaphylactic shock and had to go to the emergency department after accidental sesame exposure. — Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, "FDA Considers Making Food Labels Disclose Sesame to Help Allergy Sufferers," 12 Nov. 2018 More severely allergic people can develop a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, and in very rare cases, go into anaphylactic shock. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, "What's the Best Form of Birth Control for You?," 31 Oct. 2017 Among food allergies, peanut allergy is one of the most severe: A minuscule amount of peanut protein may lead to anaphylactic shock and even death. — Amber Dance, Washington Post, "Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies. New therapies might help.," 12 May 2018 Most importantly, watch for signs of anaphylactic shock, like difficulty swallowing or breathing and dizziness or fainting. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "This Is the Only Thing You Should Do If a Bee Stings You," 6 June 2017 But some people also have a severe allergic reaction, including anaphylactic shock, that can be fatal. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Top 5 Wisconsin wildlife risks to humans? Maybe not what you think.," 13 June 2018 The wedding coordinator goes into anaphylactic shock due to a food allergy, and Glasses knocks the wedding cake over. — refinery29.com, "Grey's Anatomy Season 14, Episode 24 Recap: "All Of Me"," 18 May 2018 EpiPens are common auto-injectors typically used to counter allergic reactions to certain foods, such as nuts, bee or insect stings, or anaphylactic shock, a potentially life-threatening reaction to a foreign substance. — Kevin Mccoy, USA TODAY, "U.S. consumers face some EpiPen shortages, Food and Drug Administration says," 10 May 2018 But imagine an EpiPen, which keeps people from going into anaphylactic shock, not working. — Bunny Wong, Woman's Day, "10 Expert Tips for Cleaning Out Your Medicine Cabinet," 29 Dec. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anaphylactic shock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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7 Dec 2018

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The first known use of anaphylactic shock was in 1909

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anaphylactic shock

noun

Medical Definition of anaphylactic shock

: an often severe and sometimes fatal systemic reaction in a susceptible individual upon a second exposure to a specific antigen (as wasp venom or penicillin) after previous sensitization that is characterized especially by respiratory symptoms, fainting, itching, and hives