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Fatal anaphylaxis following jack jumper ant sting in southern Tasmania
Citation
Brown, S and Wu, QX and Kelsall, GRH and Heddle, RJ and Baldo, BA, Fatal anaphylaxis following jack jumper ant sting in southern Tasmania, Medical Journal of Australia, 175, (11-12) pp. 644-647. ISSN 0025-729X (2001) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143761.x
Abstract
The "jack jumper" ant (Myrmecia pilosula) is a major cause of anaphylaxis in Tasmania. We describe four deaths attributed to stings by this ant between 1980 and 1999. All victims were men aged 40 years or over with significant comorbidities; two were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, which may increase risk of severe anaphylaxis. Three victims had known ant-sting allergy, but only one carried adrenaline, which he did not use. Another believed he was protected by previous attempts at hyposensitisation with whole ant-body extract. There is potential to prevent deaths by careful education of people with known allergy, prescribing of adrenaline for auto-injection and development of an effective hyposensitisation therapy.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Biomedical and Clinical Sciences |
| Research Group: | Clinical sciences |
| Research Field: | Clinical sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Clinical health |
| Objective Field: | Clinical health not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Brown, S (Professor Simon Brown) |
| UTAS Author: | Kelsall, GRH (Dr Robert Kelsall) |
| ID Code: | 21732 |
| Year Published: | 2001 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 31 |
| Deposited By: | Medicine |
| Deposited On: | 2001-08-01 |
| Last Modified: | 2011-11-21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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