Fatal anaphylaxis: postmortem findings and associated comorbid diseases

(1) Elderly patients with substantial comorbid conditions constituted a significant number of the anaphylactic fatalities; (2) the onset of severe anaphylaxis occurred in less than 30 minutes in nearly every case; (3) 18 of 23 cases were associated with specific anatomical findings of anaphylaxis; (4) self-administered epinephrine was used in just 1 of 5 cases; and (5) serum total tryptase concentrations were elevated markedly in 4 of 7 cases tested.