I know a doctor that survived a similar situation only because her teen DC was able to inject her with an expired epipen in time. The incident was at a high end resort restaurant and she was assured there was none of the specific allergen in the dish. Yet it was present somehow and the doctor guesses that it was cross-contamination. Restaurants are a crapshoot when you have a severe allergy to dairy, nuts, seeds, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Really sad. With a diary allergy that severe it’s really not safe to eat out at all.

It really is so sad. And I imagine it must be really tough for people with these allergies to walk that line between staying safe, and living a normal life! Poor woman just wanted to enjoy her evening with her family.

You are right that (I assume) she’d still be here had she prepared her dinner herself. But it does bring up an interesting point - IF (big if) the food was contaminated / the breading had nuts or dairy, it does seem like there should be liability here. I know the server is probably young and clueless and not making much money, but if that’s how it went down, that server basically killed her when he/she confirmed to her that the food was nut / dairy free.

There’s something off about this story. Did they ever figure out what the contaminated food was? Why would you put your life in the hands of someone making minimum wage as a waiter? I agree with the PP who said there’s no way of determining it was from the restaurant specifically.

The potentially contaminated food could have been in the room. Is it standard protocol if a emt sees someone non-response with an epi-pen and food nearby to take the food or are the hotel staff time not to clean the room? If not how do you know it wasn’t an exposure that occurred in the hotel or are hotels told not to clean the scene unless that hotel nut free? So sad

Really sad. With a diary allergy that severe it’s really not safe to eat out at all.

This is so horrible.

Very sad. I would be very curious if Raglan Road says one of those items had dairy or nuts (dairy seems more like to have been missed) or if it was a pure cross-contamination issue. I don’t think I would ever trust a restaurant not to cross-contaminate, so if I was that allergic I would monitor after meals. It may be that the delayed reaction was particularly problematic here. I also wonder if there’s any chance that she was exposed to something at planet Hollywood — eg someone opened a pack of peanuts near here or she picked up something that someone who just ate peanut butter had handled. If she’s so allergic that cross-contamination would kill her hours later, it’s possible it was environmental exposure from planet Hollywood or another store at disney springs.

How can they be sure it was the restaurant food and not something she came in contact with in the 45 mins after she left the restaurant? Maybe a door knob, handrail, faucet, could be anything.

What a terrible tragedy.

It was probably the corn fritters or the onion rings. Those would require a dip in a batter that either was a dairy or nut milk. Cross-contamination also is a possibility. My DD has a peanut allergy and we have to monitor her for a biphasic reaction even if she appears fine initially. We also carry prednisone and benadryl in addition to an Epipen. Feel terrible for her and her family.

What an awful story. Her poor family. 😔

Anonymous wrote:Are allergic reactions usually not immediate? I don't understand how this lady died 45 mins after dinner.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/661176-disney-world-lawsuit-woman-dies-from-food-allergies-after-disney-springs-dinner/

Usually in the first hour, but symptoms can be delayed up to 11 hours per this source.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482124/


Anaphylaxis is most often a rapidly evolving presentation, usually within one hour of exposure. Roughly half of the anaphylactic-related fatalities occur within this first hour; therefore, the first hour after the initial symptom onset is the most crucial for treatment. It is important to note that the more rapid the onset and progression of symptoms, the more severe the disease process. Morbidity and mortality are most often related to loss of airway and distributive shock. Early recognition and aggressive treatment greatly reduce the risk of adverse outcomes.

The first hour is not the only time of concern, however, as anaphylactic reactions can also present in a biphasic manner in up to 20% of cases. Even after successful management of the initial presenting symptoms, there can be a recurrence of symptoms peaking 8 to 11 hours after the initial reaction. While the biphasic response is only clinically significant in 4 to 5% of patients with diagnosed anaphylaxis, the potentially fatal second reaction should not be dismissed after treatment of the initial reaction.

Sometimes reactions are delayed. It’s also possible that she ate leftovers and the part that was contaminated was eaten then.

A delayed allergic reaction can happen. What a tragedy.

Are allergic reactions usually not immediate? I don't understand how this lady died 45 mins after dinner.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/661176-disney-world-lawsuit-woman-dies-from-food-allergies-after-disney-springs-dinner/