Acute asthma attack

An acute asthma attack, clinically termed an acute asthma exacerbation, is a sudden or progressive worsening of respiratory symptoms and airflow obstruction beyond a patient's baseline

An acute asthma attack, clinically termed an acute asthma exacerbation, is a sudden or progressive worsening of respiratory symptoms and airflow obstruction beyond a patient's baseline Clinically, it presents with severe dyspnea, wheezing, persistent cough, chest tightness, and marked reductions in objective measures of expiratory airflow, such as peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory volume

It primarily impacts the lower respiratory tract across pediatric and adult populations with underlying reactive airway disease

It primarily impacts the lower respiratory tract across pediatric and adult populations with underlying reactive airway disease

Pathophysiologically, the episode is driven by acute bronchospasm, intense airway mucosal inflammation, and hypersecretion of thick mucus, culminating in significant luminal narrowing and ventilation-perfusion mismatch

Clinically, it presents with severe dyspnea, wheezing, persistent cough, chest tightness, and marked reductions in objective measures of expiratory airflow, such as peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory volume