Severe allergic reaction and choking — emergency ambulance
Adrenaline under protocol, airway equipment for a throat that is closing, and continuous monitoring — assigned in under 60 seconds.
704455005924×7 · Live tracking shared with your family · Published fare, no surge
While the ambulance is on its way
- 1
Call now. Say if the throat or tongue is swelling.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, a hoarse voice, or any difficulty breathing makes this the most urgent kind of call we take. Say what triggered it if you know — food, a sting, a new medicine.
- 2
Use their own adrenaline auto-injector.
If they have one prescribed, help them use it into the outer thigh now, note the time, and tell the dispatcher. Do not wait to be certain — in a severe reaction, delayed adrenaline is the single commonest factor in the deaths. An antihistamine tablet is not a substitute.
- 3
Do not stand them up. Do not let them walk.
Lie them flat with the legs raised, or sit them up if breathing is easier that way — but keep them still. Standing or walking suddenly can be dangerous in a severe reaction. For choking, if they cannot speak or cough, the dispatcher will talk you through back blows and abdominal thrusts.
Call immediately if you see any of these
- —Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- —Hoarse voice, or difficulty swallowing
- —Noisy breathing, wheeze, or a tight chest
- —Widespread rash or hives with any of the above
- —Sudden collapse, pallor, or feeling faint
- —Vomiting or stomach cramps after a sting, food or medicine
- —Cannot speak, cough or breathe — clutching at the throat
- —Blue lips, or going quiet after choking
Do not drive the patient yourself if an ambulance is on the way. A moving ambulance can begin treatment; a private car cannot.
What arrives when you call
Adrenaline under protocol
The treatment that actually reverses anaphylaxis, given intramuscularly by the crew on protocol and repeated where the response is inadequate. Everything else on this list buys time; this is the drug that changes the outcome.
Advanced airway equipment
Suction, oxygen, supraglottic airways and the equipment for an airway that is closing. Swelling can shut a throat within minutes, so it is managed early rather than watched.
Foreign body removal
Laryngoscope and Magill forceps for a visible obstruction in choking, plus the training to know when to use them and when not to.
Nebulisation and IV access
Nebulised bronchodilators for wheeze, large-bore IV access and fluids for the drop in blood pressure that comes with a severe reaction, and second-line medication once adrenaline is on board.
Continuous monitoring
Cardiac monitoring and oxygen saturation from the moment the crew arrives, because a reaction that appears to settle can turn again on the way.
From your door to the hospital bed
Assigned in 60 seconds
The dispatcher stays on the line, assigns immediately, and can guide the family through the auto-injector or through choking first aid while the vehicle is moving.
Adrenaline first, everything else after
The crew's first act in a severe reaction is adrenaline, not assessment paperwork. Time to adrenaline is the number that matters in this emergency.
The patient goes to hospital even if they improve
A reaction can return hours after it appears to settle — a biphasic reaction — which is why observation in hospital is part of the treatment, not an optional extra. If a family wants to stay home after an auto-injector, we say plainly why that is not safe.
Receiving team pre-alerted
The trigger, the timing, the doses given and the response are passed ahead so the emergency department is ready rather than starting from the beginning.
Bed-to-bed handover with the trigger documented
Handover completed at the bed, with the suspected trigger recorded — that record is what allergy follow-up and a future prescription for an auto-injector are built on.
Severe Allergic Reaction and Choking
Questions people ask on the call
They used the auto-injector and feel better. Do we still need hospital?
Yes. A severe allergic reaction can return hours after it appears to settle, and the second wave can be worse than the first. Observation in hospital after adrenaline is part of the treatment, not a precaution.
Can we give an antihistamine instead of adrenaline?
No. Antihistamines help mild symptoms such as itching and hives, and they do nothing for a closing airway or a falling blood pressure. If a prescribed adrenaline auto-injector is available, use it, and tell the dispatcher what was given and when.
We are not sure it is anaphylaxis. Should we still use the injector?
If it is prescribed for that person and they have breathing difficulty, throat swelling or collapse after a known trigger, use it and stay on the line. Under-treating a severe reaction is far more dangerous than giving adrenaline that turns out not to have been needed.
What do we do for a choking baby?
An infant under one is handled differently from an adult: back blows and chest thrusts, never abdominal thrusts. Call immediately and let the dispatcher guide you through it step by step — this is exactly what they are trained to talk families through.
Do your ambulances carry adrenaline?
Yes. Adrenaline is carried and given under medical protocol by the crew, along with airway equipment, nebulisation and IV access for a severe reaction.
Is the fare higher at night?
No. The published rate for the vehicle class and distance applies at every hour, the total is stated on the call, and the receipt itemises what was charged.