Introduction: In recent years, more and more often the increase in incidence of allergies is observed. According to the WHO, they are getting the fourth position amongst the most frequent diseases after cancers, cardiovascular diseases and AIDS. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, systemic or generalised immediate hypersensitivity reaction. The analysis of the causes and the clinical picture of anaphylaxis in patients treated at single academic hospital centre was the purpose of the study.

Material and methods: The study was based on retrospective analysis of case records of the patients hospitalised at the Chair and Department of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases, the Jan Biziel University Hospital in Bydgoszcz in the years 2005−2010. 132 patients, in whom anaphylactic reaction appeared, were analysed. The examined population included 70 men and 62 women at 16−95 years of age.

Results: The conducted examinations allowed to obtain information about the causes and the course of anaphylactic reactions. The problem of hypersensitivity to substances of various origin (biological or synthetic) can concern everyone irrespective of sex and age. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of anaphylaxis more often occurred in the examined men than women. Most cases of anaphylactic reactions were reported in the 26−50 age range. Based on the presented results, no regularity was observed in anaphylaxis clinical picture and its causative factor.

Conclusions: It is difficult to forecast the course of the reaction based on the causative factor, for anaphylactic reaction is characterised by a great individual changeability and intensity of the first symptoms.