Status Asthmaticus
Report:
Sinus rhythm
Right atrial abnormality
ST/T changes consistent with ischæmia or hypoxia
Comment:
Tachycardia is conspicuous for its absence and is as sinister as was the absence of audible wheezing. The repolarisation changes reflect profound hypoxæmia and mixed acidosis. They resolved within 14 hours (Fig 209a). In critical care units, some of the most florid “ischæmic” traces are obtained on subjects with systemic, rather than coronary, disease.
The patient survived; it is rare at present to “lose” an asthmatic who had not sustained irreversible brain damage or barotrauma prior to admission. Asthmatics sometimes deteriorate further on positive pressure ventilation but in this case the situation became so desperate that I applied, for the first time, external expiratory assistance popularised by Malcolm Fisher151.
Some of the scary rhythm strips are shown overpage (Fig 209b).
If you have any suggestions for or feedback on this report, please let us know.
Hi, can we chat about some terms and conditions?
The library and it's records are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
By clicking agree below, you are agreeing to adhere to CC BY 4.0.