A 38-year-old female complains of sneezing and mild trouble breathing after inhaling an unknown substance. You auscultate wheezes in all fields. Her vital signs are P 88, R 20, BP 138/68, and SpO2 is 92% on room air. What type of reaction should you suspect?

• A. Desensitization
• B. Anaphylactoid
• C. Anaphylactic
• D. Allergic

Answer: (D)

Airway involvement after inhaling a substance is most consistent with an allergic reaction causing bronchospasm. The patient has sneezing and mild dyspnea with diffuse wheezes and only mild hypoxemia, yet her blood pressure is normal and there are no other systemic signs described. That pattern points to an allergic reaction affecting the airways rather than a full-blown anaphylaxis, which would typically involve more widespread symptoms and possible shock. Anaphylactoid reactions resemble anaphylaxis clinically but are not IgE-mediated. Desensitization is a treatment approach, not a type of reaction. So the scenario fits an allergic reaction to an inhaled antigen.