1. Predisposing Factors to Death After Recovery from a Life-Threatening Asthmatic Attack
- Author
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Vicente Plaza, Jose M. Montserrat, César Picado, J. de Pablo, and Albert Agusti-Vidal
- Subjects
Male ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,medicine.drug_class ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Anxiety ,Sex Factors ,Risk Factors ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Aged ,Asthma ,Mechanical ventilation ,Depression ,business.industry ,Cardiorespiratory arrest ,Severe exacerbation ,medicine.disease ,Sedative ,Anesthesia ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Patient Compliance ,Female ,business ,Asthmatic attack - Abstract
The outcome of 49 asthmatics (20 men and 29 women) who had suffered a severe exacerbation of asthma requiring mechanical ventilation was investigated in a follow-up study ranging from 23 weeks to 10 years. Over this time, there were 6 fatalities, all female chronic asthmatics requiring treatment with bronchodilators, beclometha-sone, and short courses of oral steroids. Three died at home as a consequence of a sudden attack. Another patient developed a cardiorespiratory arrest immediately after having received a sedative. In the remaining two cases, death occurred within hours or days of progressive deterioration. Four of the six women had required psychiatric treatment for an anxiety-depression syndrome. These findings support previous studies suggesting that psychological disturbances may be predisposing factors to death in bronchial asthma.
- Published
- 1989
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