Intensive Care Management of Acute Asthma in Children

Abstract

To the Editor.— In the article by Stein et al1 it was stated that three deaths occurred. The death of the 17-year-old boy working in the restaurant was reported as due to the acute onset of respiratory distress followed by respiratory arrest. Asthma usually occurs gradually, with prodromal symptoms 24 to 48 hours before an attack. In a few patients, the prodrome can occur less than 6 hours before the respiratory symptoms.2 The time course of the asthma in the 17-year-old boy is more consistent with an acute anaphylactic reaction, most likely from food ingestion.