BACKGROUND The activity of the renin-angiotensin system in asthma has not been studied previously and the effect of angiotensin II (AII) on bronchomotor tone in vivo is unknown. METHODS Plasma levels of renin and AII levels were measured in 20 patients with acute severe asthma, nine with mild asthma, 10 with severe chronic asthma, and 16 normal volunteers. The effect of AII, given as an intra...

Bilateral subconjunctival haemorrhage was observed on 5 separate occasions in 4 patients presenting a fulminant form of acute severe asthma. Four of these episodes required ventilatory support. All patients recovered from their asthma attack after treatment with bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and oxygen. The incidence of this previously unreported finding represents 5% of the total number of...

Background: About 5–10% of patients with asthma suffer from poorly-controlled disease despite corticosteroid (CS) therapy. Methods: 21 severe and 30 mild asthma patients were recruited and underwent collection of blood sample. We determined whether there were any differences in inflammatory biomarkers between severe and mild asthma patients or not.Results: Levels of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Int...

Severe acute asthma is a medical emergency that must be quickly diagnosed and treated. Initial treatment includes a bronchodilator agent and systemic corticosteroids. In severe cases with poor response to the standard treatment, intravenous magnesium sulfate is a therapeutic option. This article aimed a literature review on the use of intravenous magnesium sulfate in the emergency room treatmen...

www.aafp.org/afp Volume 88, Number 2 ◆ July 15, 2013 Not all acute wheezing is caused by asthma or bronchospasm, particularly in children younger than 2 years. If bronchodilators do not improve symptoms, alternative diagnoses (e.g., infection, foreign body) should be considered. Although no evidence exists to support the use of oxygen in acute asthma, it is known to be effective and should be a...