Swelling, wheeze, or collapse after sting, food, or drug
1 h to careBuddydelayed
Life threat — do the NOW steps before anything else.
Step 1 of 4 · now
Give their epinephrine if they have it
Blue to the sky, orange to the thigh (typical auto-injector). Outer mid-thigh, through clothes if needed. Hold 3 seconds. Note the time. A second dose can be given after 5–15 minutes if they are still crashing and you have it.
Use: Epinephrine injector — not in your kit
If you do not have it: If no epinephrine: sit them up to breathe, call a medic immediately, treat shock if they collapse. You cannot replace epi with an antihistamine.
0:03
When this applies · do not
Sudden swelling of lips, tongue, or throat
Wheeze, can’t speak a sentence, or collapse after a sting, food, or medicine
Hives plus trouble breathing or vomiting after exposure
Red flags
This can kill in minutes. Epinephrine first, then evac. Antihistamine is not enough.
Do not
Do not wait to ‘see if it settles’ if they cannot breathe.
Do not give anything by mouth if they cannot swallow.
Field aid tool — not a diagnosis, not a medic, not your unit’s official protocol. When a trained medic or doctor is there, follow them.