Anaphylaxis: subjective symptom reports of patients with a special focus on 'near-death' experiences

SummaryAlmost all anaphylactic reactions are associated with subjective symptoms, which are also referred to “prodromi”, and are often not taken seriously. In 100 patients categorized with different severity grades, subjective symptoms were investigated in a personal interview with free/open questions regarding subjective feelings and symptoms (duration 5–90 min). After the interview, the patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about the exact occurrence of the reaction. Special focus was given to near-death experiences in severe reactions. Patients described feelings of “elevation”, “looking at themselves from outside”, “tunnel experiences” and “bright light”. In the kinetics of the anaphylactic reaction, cutaneous symptoms were most often reported as the first or second symptom, while cardiovascular and airway symptoms were also reported as the 3rd, 4th or 5th symptom. In 37% of the patients with severe reactions, everyday life has changed since suffering the anaphylactic episode.