Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Management of Biphasic Anaphylaxis

Biphasic anaphylaxis is a variant of anaphylaxis characterized by recurrence of symptoms after initial resolution of anaphylaxis. It was first described in the mid 1990s by Popa and Lerner. Our understanding of the pathophysiology and epidemiology of the condition has advanced considerably since then. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the literature surrounding biphasic anaphylaxis while highlighting key works and recent advances.

Prior studies have estimated biphasic anaphylaxis occurs in 0.4–20% of anaphylaxis episodes. The wide range may be related to differences in anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria which was inconsistent across studies. Recently identified risk factors for occurrence of biphasic anaphylaxis include severe initial symptoms including hypotension or hypoxia, delay in epinephrine use, and greater than one dose of epinephrine required to treat symptoms.

Despite our progress to better understand biphasic anaphylaxis, there remain gaps in the literature. This article aims to review the recent literature including, epidemiology, risk factors, and management of biphasic anaphylaxis.