How to interview a patient with an allergic reaction
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
First decide if it is anaphylaxis. If yes, give epinephrine before more questions.
Step by step
Is it anaphylaxis?
Breathing trouble, throat tightness, low blood pressure or fainting: give epinephrine now. [1]
Introduce yourself and get consent
Short questions. [2]
Trigger
Food, medicine, sting, latex, new product. [3]
Timing
Minutes after exposure suggests a true allergy. [3]
Symptoms
Hives, swelling, itching, vomiting, wheeze. [4]
Past reactions
Previous reactions and how severe; asthma. [4]
Plan
Avoid the trigger, epinephrine auto-injector teaching, referral to allergy. [1]
Common errors
- Questions before epinephrine in anaphylaxis.
- Not teaching the auto-injector.
- Missing asthma as a risk.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
- Anaphylaxis in a child
- Urinary tract infection with delirium
- Acute asthma attack
- COPD with pneumonia
- Anaphylaxis from a bee sting
- Allergic rhinitis
10 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library
Sources
- NASEMSO National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines
- AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
- NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations
- NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.