Final answer:
Anaphylaxis is the severe systemic allergic response that can lead to death within minutes due to a drop in blood pressure and airway swelling. Prompt treatment with an epinephrine autoinjector is critical for survival.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anaphylaxis: A Severe Allergic Reaction
The severe systemic allergic response that can cause a patient to die within minutes is known as anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a type I hypersensitivity reaction that is systemic and potentially life-threatening. It occurs rapidly after exposure to an allergen, leading to a massive release of histamines causing symptoms like a drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, and swelling of the tongue and throat. In severe cases, without prompt treatment with epinephrine, which helps control the immune reaction and maintain blood pressure and airways, anaphylaxis may result in death due to suffocation or shock.
Patients prone to anaphylactic reactions often carry an epinephrine autoinjector such as an EpiPen®, which provides immediate self-administered treatment to counteract the effects of the reaction.