Managing outpatient asthma exacerbations.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that renders individuals vulnerable to acute exacerbations. A wide variety of allergic and nonallergic triggers can incite an asthma exacerbation. The goals of managing an asthma exacerbation are prompt recognition, rapid reversal of airflow obstruction, avoidance of relapses, and prevention of future episodes.

Regional and racial disparities in asthma hospitalizations in Mississippi.

Background: In the United States, asthma hospitalization rates are disproportionately high among blacks compared with other racial/ethnic groups and vary by geographic region. These disparities among asthma hospitalizations might be affected by social, environmental, and health-care access factors.

Objective: To determine demographic risk factors for asthma hospitalizations in urban versus rural areas of Mississippi.

Increased frequency of large local reactions among systemic reactors during subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy.

Background: Large local reactions are not uncommon during allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Dosage adjustments after large local reactions are commonly instituted despite literature that suggests individual large local reactions do not seem to predict subsequent systemic reactions.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between large local reactions and the risk of systemic reactions to AIT.

Asthma.

This article is a comprehensive review of asthma that discusses risk factors, diagnosis, and management. Guidelines for choosing appropriate asthma therapy are discussed. Key aspects of patient education are described.

Management of the acute exacerbation of asthma.

All patients with asthma are at risk of having asthma exacerbations characterized by worsening symptoms, airflow obstruction, and an increased requirement for rescue bronchodilators. The goals of managing an asthma exacerbation are prompt recognition and rapid reversal of airflow obstruction to avert relapses and future episodes. Short-acting beta-agonists, oxygen, and corticosteroids form the basis of management of acute asthma exacerbation, but a role is emerging for anticholinergics and newer agents such as levalbuterol and formoterol.

Managing outpatient asthma exacerbations.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that renders individuals prone to acute exacerbations. Several allergic and nonallergic triggers can incite an asthma exacerbation. The goals of managing an asthma exacerbation are prompt recognition, rapid reversal of airflow obstruction, prevention of relapses, and forestalling future episodes.

Endotoxin, atopy and asthma.

Endotoxin is infamous for its ability to exacerbate existing allergy and asthma symptoms. Current research supports this phenomenon, demonstrating its significance in the home, as well as in the workplace. At the same time, evidence is emerging that exposure to endotoxin may drive immune development away from the T-helper lymphocyte type 2-mediated allergy and asthma profile.