A 23-year-old pregnant woman, stung by a bee with hives and difficulty breathing, hesitates to use an epinephrine auto-injector. What should you do?

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Multiple Choice

A 23-year-old pregnant woman, stung by a bee with hives and difficulty breathing, hesitates to use an epinephrine auto-injector. What should you do?

In anaphylaxis, giving epinephrine quickly is the most important, life-saving step because it rapidly reverses airway swelling, bronchospasm, and shock. The bee sting has already produced hives and breathing difficulty, signaling airway edema and systemic reaction. Epinephrine relaxes the airway muscles, constricts blood vessels to raise blood pressure, and reduces swelling, buying critical time for the patient. This is true in pregnancy as well—the benefits to both mother and fetus from quickly controlling the reaction far outweigh potential risks. If the patient hesitates, remember that in a life-threatening emergency, you can administer treatment under implied consent to preserve life, then continue monitoring and arrange urgent transport. After giving the epinephrine auto-injector, provide supportive care (oxygen if available), monitor the airway and vital signs, and transport emergently for ongoing evaluation and treatment.

In anaphylaxis, giving epinephrine quickly is the most important, life-saving step because it rapidly reverses airway swelling, bronchospasm, and shock. The bee sting has already produced hives and breathing difficulty, signaling airway edema and systemic reaction. Epinephrine relaxes the airway muscles, constricts blood vessels to raise blood pressure, and reduces swelling, buying critical time for the patient. This is true in pregnancy as well—the benefits to both mother and fetus from quickly controlling the reaction far outweigh potential risks.

If the patient hesitates, remember that in a life-threatening emergency, you can administer treatment under implied consent to preserve life, then continue monitoring and arrange urgent transport. After giving the epinephrine auto-injector, provide supportive care (oxygen if available), monitor the airway and vital signs, and transport emergently for ongoing evaluation and treatment.

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