Serum enzyme monitoring in asthma patients.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R S Lipkind.
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A treatment protocol for pediatric patients with acute asthma from 8 months to 15 years of age was utilized in an urban pediatric emergency department. In a three month period, 682 children were evaluated with acute asthma with 566 (83.0%) initially discharged and 116 (17.0%) admitted. There were no deaths. Treatment included aerosol inhalation in 682 patients (100%) and both intravenous steroids and aminophylline in 247 (36.2%) patients. Medical care was rendered by housestaff physicians supervised by full-time attending physicians. Of the 566 patients discharged, 131 (21.1%) patients had received intravenous aminophylline and steroids. Of those discharged 14 (2.5%) were admitted during the subsequent 48 hours for status asthmaticus. Of the 247 patients who received intravenous medications, chest radiographs consistent with pneumonia were noted in 15 (6.2%). The routine use of this protocol has been effective in the short term emergency department management of pediatric patients with acute asthma and had been accepted by the housestaff and attending physicians.
The authors reviewed the initial presentation of seven infants with acute myocarditis. All patients presented with respiratory distress including tachypnea (respiratory rate greater than or equal to 40) and intercostal retractions. Other findings included tachycardia (heart rate greater than or equal to 120) (7/7) and grunting (6/7). Lungs were clear to auscultation in six out of the seven patients. Cardiomegaly was seen in five of the initial chest roentgenograms. Each initial electrocardiogram had abnormal findings. Initial diagnoses were sepsis and shock in three patients, pneumonia and asthma in two, and congestive heart failure in two. Six patients required tracheal intubation. All required admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Two patients died. Myocarditis should be suspected in a child presenting with severe respiratory distress, tachycardia, cardiomegaly, and/or an abnormal electrocardiogram. Prompt stabilization and admission to a pediatric intensive care unit for further evaluation and treatment is essential.