The incidence rate of anaphylaxis is increasing, particularly during the first 2 decades of life.
Common triggers include foods, medications, and insect stings. Clinical diagnosis is based
on a meticulous history of an exposure or event preceding characteristic symptoms and
signs, sometimes but not always supported by a laboratory test such as an elevated serum
total tryptase level. Physician-initiated investigation of patients with anaphylaxis whose
symptoms and signs are atypical sometimes leads to important insights into previously …