The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced that the number of cases of anaphylactic shock in the UK has risen by over 600 per cent in the past twenty years. Anaphylaxis is usually triggered by an allergic reaction and can cause a decrease in blood pressure, swelling of the affected area and a difficulty to breath. Such reactions, which can cause death or serious illness in otherwise healthy individuals, are estimated to affect an average of fifty-thousand people over the course of their lifetime. Guidelines for dealing with anaphylactic shock were published today by NICE and include advice such as giving those who have previously suffered from anaphylaxis an adrenaline injection, which they can administer themselves in the advent of a future attack. Such measures may prove lifesaving.