We report the case of an asthmatic patient with blunt trachea and left main bronchus injuries who developed acute severe asthma after surgical repair. Despite medical treatment and ventilatory support, asthma persisted with high airway pressures and severe respiratory acidosis. We proposed venovenous extracorporeal life support for CO(2) removal which allowed arterial blood gas normalization an...

The incidence of anaphylaxis is under-reported. Children with asthma are frequently atopic and prone to allergic reactions. Parents and clinicians may attribute wheeze of rapid onset to acute severe asthma, rather than recognising an anaphylactic event. Two cases of fatal anaphylaxis are reported who were initially diagnosed as acute severe asthma, and responded poorly to bronchodilator treatme...

Severe viral bronchiolitis and severe acute asthma are common causes of acute respiratory insufficiency in infants and children beyond the neonatal period. Both are associated with considerable morbidity and can be fatal if management is inadequate. However, it is possible to reduce mortality to a minimum with appropriate therapy. The term 'status asthmaticus' is not used in this review because...

Asthma is a cause of severe morbidity and mortality in the United States. Severe acute asthma accounts for over one million emergency room visits per year (1). The vast majority of patients presenting with acute asthma can be successfully managed with β2-agonist bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and oxygen. Despite maximal medical therapy, it is estimated that 1– 3% of patients with severe asth...

occupational asthma has been reported  to  be the most  common  chronic respiratory occupational disease in many developed countries, and  as with other  occupational lung diseases, occupational asthma is potentially preventable. we report  the case of a 24-year-old baker who experienced pneumomediastinum as a consequence of workplace exposure. this is the first report of pneumomediastinum as a...

Asthma prevalence and mortality have been increasing over the past 2 decades, despite advances in medical therapy. In 2003 the National Health Interview Survey reported over 4,000 asthma-related deaths. A small proportion of people with severe asthma use a large proportion of health-care resources and bear the burden of asthma-related morbidity and mortality. The management of acute asthma is c...