In cases of anaphylaxis, which sign indicates severe hypotension?

In the context of anaphylaxis, severe hypotension is indicated by cool extremities. This is due to the body’s response to anaphylactic shock, where the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops significantly. As a result, blood flow may be shunted away from the peripheral tissues in an attempt to maintain blood flow to vital organs. When this happens, extremities may become cool or even mottled due to reduced perfusion.

The presence of a rapid pulse can also indicate compensatory mechanisms in response to low blood pressure but does not directly indicate hypotension itself. High blood pressure would be contradictory in the case of anaphylaxis and would not indicate hypotension. Severe swelling is primarily associated with the allergic response rather than a direct indicator of blood pressure changes. Thus, cool extremities serve as a vital sign for assessing the severity of hypotension in anaphylactic cases.