Airing It Out: Variations in Intensive Care Unit Management of Severe Asthma Exacerbations and Differences in Outcome
Asthma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and even patients with mild asthma are at risk of severe or life-threatening exacerbations. Exacerbations requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission number between 25,000 and 50,000 every year in the United States (1). Current guidelines based on the Global Initiative for Asthma offer little guidance beyond the early initiation of supplemental oxygen, inhaled β-agonists, and systemic corticosteroids in the treatment of patients