Management of severe acute asthma in children

Abstract

Introduction Asthma is a highly prevalent disease in children, and is associated with substantial morbidity. Acute exacerbations of asthma range in severity from mild, manageable with outpatient care, to life-threatening, requiring intensive care and mechanical ventilation (MV). Severe acute asthma (SAA) refers to acute life-threatening asthma-or status asthmaticus-if the lower airway obstruction causing severe respiratory distress and/or respiratory failure persists despite treatment with inhaled bronchodilators. Both acute life-threatening asthma and SAA bear an increased risk of mortality if not treated early and adequately. Most children admitted to the hospital with SAA improve with sup..