Episode 29: Alpha-gal Case Study

In this episode of the South Metro EMS Podcast the crew talk though a midnight call for difficulty breathing at a Chatfield campsite quickly turned into a peri-arrest, leaving the crew to manage severe anaphylaxis with no clear trigger and no known allergy history. Paramedic Will Martinez walks through the call firsthand, Dr. Jonathan Apfelbaum breaks down Alpha-Gal Syndrome, a tick-borne condition that causes delayed, life-threatening reactions to red meat, and Lt. Mikel Hogestad shares what it's like to live with the diagnosis. The bottom line for providers: if it looks and smells like anaphylaxis, treat it that way.