Near-fatal asthma: a heterogeneous clinical entity.

Purpose Of Review: The aims of the present review were to describe the heterogeneous nature of near-fatal asthma (NFA) and to summarize the distinctive phenotypes identified in this subtype of asthma.

Recent Findings: Clinical, physiological, and histological studies have shown a large number of triggers, pathological mechanisms, and risk factors associated with NFA. Based on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, the circumstances surrounding the asthma exacerbation and some distinctive features of the disease, several clinical profiles of asthma patients with NFA have been described.