Fig. 2.

An allergic individual's response to an allergen may vary because of dose, treatment and threshold factors. Timely, effective treatment limits, but does not control, all reactions. Apertures are larger depending on the presence of risk factors. Fatal and severe reactions appear more likely if there is a combination and alignment of risk factors. In the example, a similar dose in patients with equivalent levels of severe food allergy has different clinical outcomes. A mild reaction is the outcome in a patient with less current allergic disease, less metabolic factors, less contributing medications and early effective use of epinephrine. These factors are shown to amplify in a severe allergic reaction