[Analysis of deaths during the course of status asthmaticus in patients treated at the Acute Asthma Center in the Pneumonology Clinic of the Warsaw Medical School in the years 1991-1996].

In the Acute Asthma Treatment Center (OLSA) in the Department of Pneumonology of Warsaw Medical School in years 1991-1996, 582 patients with status asthmaticus were treated. The causes of status asthmaticus were bronchial asthma in 317 patients and COPD in 265 patients. Status asthmaticus was the cause of death in 21 patients treated in OLSA, which accounts for 3.6% of the total. 10 subjects were admitted with symptoms of brain death, who underwent resuscitation on their way to hospital. This study retrospectively analyzes the clinical characteristics (age, sex, PaCO2, pH, PaO2, time of mechanical ventilation and duration of treatment in ICU) of patients who died in status asthmaticus. They were divided into two groups: patients with asthma and COPD. A significant difference (p < 0.01) was detected between those two groups only in patients age. Mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 151 h in asthmatic and 104 h in COPD group. Mean duration of the OLSA stay was 19.5 days in the first and 7.4 days in the second group. The following fatal complications were observed: 2 cerebral strokes, 4 cardiac infarctions, 3 pneumothoraces, 2 atelectasis, 4 pneumonia, 1 case of gastric hemorrhage and 1 hemorrhage to mediastinum.