REMISSIONS IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AND HYPERTROPHIC PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA

Abstract

Patients with bronchial asthma and the broncho-spastic type of chronic hypertrophic pulmonary emphysema occasionally manifest spontaneous remissions without discernible cause. Commonly, these periods of freedom from symptoms have followed unusual events in their lives, such as operations with ether anesthesia, sustained fever due to foreign protein reaction or infection (except virus caused), a critical emotional upheaval, or abrupt transfer to a new regimen involving the elimination of the accustomed medication. The purpose of this paper is to describe (1) the approach to remissive therapy, the aim of which is to initiate a prolonged period of freedom from wheezing, cough, and dyspnea, with utilization of the insights yielded by spontaneous remissions in patients, and (2) the measures for which a sound physiological argument may be presented. In some of the early studies on inhalation therapy in patients with intractable bronchospasm it was surprising how often substantial benefit followed a physiologically directed