Severe ventilatory failure in asthma in children. Experience of 13 episodes over 6 years.

During the 6-year period from 1 October 1971 to 30 September 1977, 13 (about 1%) of 1225 admissions to hospital with asthma developed severe ventilatory failure (peak arterial PCO 2 greater than 8 kPa). Mean age was 4.1 years (2.3--7.9), and on average each patient had been admitted to hospital on 5 occasions during the preceding year. 11 gave a family history of asthma or a personal history of associated allergies. A viral upper respiratory tract infection was the commonest precipitant of wheeze, and in 7 patients the duration of wheeziness before admission to hospital was 12 hours or less. Six (0.5%) patients were treated by mechanical ventilation and all survived. The changing patterns of management during the study period are reviewed.