Infrequent Cardiac Deaths Occur In Bronchial-Asthma

Sudden death in asthma can be a devastating and inexplicable event that forces physicians to seek an explanation. Over the years, this problem appears to have been increasing, although a sizeable proportion of the 4,500 or so deaths a year in the United States occur in older people 1 Expert Panel Report. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. US Department of Health and Human Services; Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda1991 Google Scholar and asthma may reflect the one obvious diagnosis given to patients who are terminally ill with multiple geriatric disorders. Truly unexpected deaths, some of which occur suddenly in patients who are not regarded as having severe asthma, 2 Robin ED Lewiston N Unexpected, unexplained death in young asthmatic subjects. Chest. 1989; 96: 790-793 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (57) Google Scholar constitute a very minor but highly disturbing subset in the population of over 10 million patients with asthma in the United States. Reviews of unexpected deaths suggest that little beyond good education of patients and their families could be done to anticipate or prevent deaths, unless costly evaluations and precautions were to be directed at the huge population of asthmatic subjects of all ages. 1 Expert Panel Report. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. US Department of Health and Human Services; Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda1991 Google Scholar , 3 Higenbottam T Hay I Has the treatment of asthma improved?. Chest. 1990; 98: 706-712 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar , 4 Sly RM Increase in deaths from asthma. Ann Allergy. 1984; 53: 20-25 PubMed Google Scholar The current review by Dr. Robin offers an approach to identifying the small number of patients who may be at risk of fatal complications from aerosol bronchodilator therapy.