Vladimír Zoľák, Ján Mikler, Peter Ďurdík, Slavomír Nosáľ, Barbora Zoľáková, Blanka Hodrušská, Marián Fedor, Peter Bánovčin
The term status asthmaticus is used for each episode of bronchial obstruction with severe disturbances of pulmonary functions, that does nor response to standard bronchodilating therapy, progresses and leads to respiratory failure. Most children with exacerbation of asthma examined by an emergency physician do not need to be hospitalized. In some children with mild or moderate symptoms of SA adequate therapy is with O2, inhalation bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Only a low percentage of children needs admission to ICU. Despite new knowledge in pathophysiology of asthma the basic therapy in acute exacerbation of the disease is use of B-agonists and corticosteroids. Current literature sources has supported the use of adjuvant therapy, e.g. magnesium, anticholinergics and recovered metylxantins. Using non- invasive gauge-pressure ventilation we can prevent the need of enditracheal intubation and artificial pulmonary ventilation, that shoul be resertved only for very severe cases. The authors present a case report of a 9-year-old female patient with status asthmaticus.