The patient: A 6-year-old boy in the Netherlands
The symptoms: The child was receiving a blood transfusion as a treatment for lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer that originates in bone marrow, when he experienced a severe allergic reaction. His blood pressure dropped, and he developed a rash. Swelling appeared around his lips, tongue and eyelids, and he had difficulty breathing. This type of allergic response, known as anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening.
What happened next: Doctors treated the patient with the hormone epinephrine (also called adrenaline), which quickly reduces tissue swelling caused by anaphylaxis while also raising blood pressure and easing restricted breathing. The child recovered after about 30 minutes.
His doctors collected blood samples immediately after the reaction, and...
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