Crashing Asthmatic: The Impact of Respiratory Failure

Asthma is a leading health complication among children in the United States. Brought about by infection, congenital defect or even environmental factors, children who suffer from asthma often experience great complication associated with daily living and may, even, be at risk for developing a complication known as the "crashing asthmatic".

"Crashing asthma" is simply defined as the process by which asthma is progressively, and quickly, leading to a respiratory failure complication even after being administered the protocol medical treatment for the asthma attack.

For some children who develop "crashing asthma", the complication may be associated with an airway obstruction often associated with mucous blockage. The resulting effect may lead to a complication in which the patient experiences respiratory distress to such an extent that hypoxia may set in, resulting in death of the asthmatic child.

As a parent of a child who suffers from severe asthma, it is important to address the complications associated with asthmatic complications especially when your child is subjected to environmental toxins or may be experiencing the complications associated with an upper respiratory infection.

So, how do you know if your asthmatic child is experiencing a "crashing" episode. The key difference between a crashing asthmatic event and a traditional asthmatic event lies in the inability of the child to respond to the prescription medications used to treat asthma at home. Upon examination by a healthcare professional, the asthmatic child's chest x-ray will show a hyperinflation in the lungs with abnormal arterial blood gas levels, ultimately requiring extensive medical treatment, including possible intubation.

In the emergency room, your asthmatic child may be intubated, may be administered Brethine by IV and may require an injection of epinephrine. With this combination approach, many complications associated with the crashing asthmatic patient can be reversed.