Case 1—Woman aged 30, six months pregnant
• Trigger: Chinese meal	Case 2—Woman aged 30
• Symptoms and treatment: one hour after start of meal felt faint; mild asthma; severe dyspnoea and laryngeal oedema; loss of consciousness; taken to accident and emergency department after 10 minutes; on arrival cyanosed, respiratory arrest; periorbital oedema; salbutamol infusion; cardiac arrest four minutes later; adrenaline given; intubated with difficulty and ventilated	• Trigger: one teaspoonful muesli
• Recovered (see figure next page)	• Symptoms and treatment: immediate itching of mouth; throat swollen and uncomfortable inside; vomited; dyspnoea (could not breathe, different from her asthma); laryngeal oedema (obstruction in throat); lightheaded; no loss of consciousness; used her own salbutamol inhaler (no effect); taken to accident and emergency department; respiratory distress; intense erythema and generalised urticaria; given intramuscular adrenaline and chlorpheniramine
• Cause: allergy to green pepper	• Rapid recovery
Case 3—Boy aged 8 months	• Cause: allergy to brazil nuts and hazelnuts
• Trigger: Tiny quantity of peanut butter	Case 4—Woman aged 26
• Symptoms: blisters around mouth; distressed; vomiting; dyspnoea; urticaria	• Trigger: vaginal examinations during labour
• Cause: allergy to peanuts	• Symptoms: itching of vulva; oedema of labia; generalised urticaria and pruritus; mild dyspnoea; felt woozy, lightheaded, odd, shaking