OBJECTIVES We investigated the effect of heliox-powered albuterol therapy on hospital length of stay and clinical status in children with moderate to severe status asthmaticus. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING Twenty-five-bed pediatric intensive care unit at an academic children's medical center. PATIENTS Forty-two children (2-21 yrs of age) with moderate ...

TOPIC: Allergy and Airway TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: Ketamine is a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that promotes bronchodilation through several mechanisms: blocking NDMA receptors to prevent bronchoconstriction, decreasing nitric oxide production in pulmonary tissues reduce bronchospasm, reducing inflammation reverse histamine-induced bronchoconst...

A six-year-old girl with sickle cell disease and severe asthma was treated for status asthmaticus on several occasions. Sickle cell crises appeared to be precipitated by the asthmatic episodes. The interactions between these two disease processes are discussed and a treatment protocol for the rare patient with both of these diseases is proposed.

BACKGROUND Asthma is the most common obstructive airway disease in children and adults. Nasal high flow (NHF) is a recent device that is now used as a primary support for respiratory distress. Several studies have reported use of NHF as a respiratory support in status asthmaticus; however, there are no data to recommend such practice. We therefore conducted this preliminary study to evaluate NH...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of theophylline, terbutaline, or theophylline combined with terbutaline treatment in critically ill children with status asthmaticus who are already receiving continuous nebulized albuterol and intravenous corticosteroids. DESIGN Randomized, prospective, controlled, double-blind trial. SETTING Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary-care children's medi...