Critical care in the ED: potentially fatal asthma and acute lung injury syndrome

Critical care in the ED: potentially fatal asthma and acute lung injury syndrome

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Rick Hodder*Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, copyright, *Dr Rick Hodder passed chainsaw file away on Tuesday April 17,2012.Please see the Dedication for more information on Dr Hodder.Abstract: Emergency department clinicians are frequently called upon to assess, diagnose, and stabilize patients who present with acute respiratory failure.This review describes a rapid initial approach to acute respiratory failure in adults, illustrated by two common examples: (1) an airway disease – acute potentially fatal asthma, and (2) a pulmonary parenchymal disease – acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.As such patients are valhalla axys usually admitted to hospital, discussion will be focused on those initial management aspects most relevant to the emergency department clinician.

Keywords: acute asthma, acute lung injury, ARDS, acute respiratory failure.