Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1977 Feb;32(1):29–34. doi: 10.1136/thx.32.1.29

Asthma deaths in children--a continuing problem.

C M Mellis, P D Phelan
PMCID: PMC470521  PMID: 841530

Abstract

The clinical and pathological features of five children who died of asthma over a recent 12-month period are reported. All had severe, chronic asthma requiring maintenance corticosteroid therapy. Three had been receiving beclomethasone dipropionate by inhalation and these had acute inflammation of the tracheobronchial tree at necropsy. Adrenal atrophy was found in all four cases examined histologically, despite normal short tetracosactrin tests in three of these shortly before they died. The need for high-dose corticosteroid by mouth for exacerbations of asthma in those weaned from oral steroids is emphasized by these deaths. The introduction of beclomethasone dipropionate by inhalation has led to an increase in the number of children in this high-risk group.

Full text

PDF
29

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Buranakul B., Washington J., Hilman B., Mancuso J., Sly R. M. Causes of death during acute asthma in children. Am J Dis Child. 1974 Sep;128(3):343–350. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1974.02110280073009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dunnill M. S. The pathology of asthma. Ciba Found Study Group. 1971;38:35–46. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fraser P. M., Speizer F. E., Waters S. D., Doll R., Mann N. M. The circumstances preceding death from asthma in young people in 1968 to 1969. Br J Dis Chest. 1971 Apr;65(2):71–84. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gandevia B. Pressurized sympathomimetic aerosols and their lack of relationship to asthma mortality in Australia. Med J Aust. 1973 Feb 10;1(6):273–277. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1973.tb119742.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gandevia B. The changing pattern of mortality from asthma in Australia. 2. Mortality and modern therapy. Med J Aust. 1968 May 25;1(21):884–891. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Greig W. R., Maxwell J. D., Boyle J. A., Lindsay R. M., Browning M. C. Criteria for distinguishing normal from subnormal adrenocortical function using the Synacthen test. Postgrad Med J. 1969 May;45(523):307–313. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.45.523.307. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hill D. J., Landau L. I., McNicol K. N., Phelan P. D. Asthma--the physiological and clinical spectrum in childhood. Respiratory function studies in its assessment. Arch Dis Child. 1972 Dec;47(256):874–881. doi: 10.1136/adc.47.256.874. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Katz R. M. Cough syncope in children with asthma. J Pediatr. 1970 Jul;77(1):48–51. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(70)80043-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Maunsell K., Pearson R. S., Livingstone J. L. Long-term corticosteroid treatment of asthma. Br Med J. 1968 Mar 16;1(5593):661–665. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5593.661. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mcnicol K. N., Macnicol K. N., Williams H. B. Spectrum of asthma in children. I. Clinical and physiological components. Br Med J. 1973 Oct 6;4(5883):7–11. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5883.7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mellis C. M., Steiner N., Phelan P. D. Beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol for asthmatic children requiring maintenance oral steroid therapy. Med J Aust. 1976 Jun 19;1(25):957–962. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. RICHARDS W., PATRICK J. R. DEATH FROM ASTHMA IN CHILDREN. Am J Dis Child. 1965 Jul;110:4–23. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1965.02090030010003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Richards W., Siegel S. C., Strauss J., Leigh M. D. Status asthmaticus in children. JAMA. 1967 Jul 10;201(2):75–81. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Shenfield G. M., Hodson M. E., Clarke S. W., Paterson J. W. Interaction of corticosteroids and catecholamines in the treatment of asthma. Thorax. 1975 Aug;30(4):430–435. doi: 10.1136/thx.30.4.430. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Silverglade A. Evaluation of reports of deaths from asthma. J Asthma Res. 1971 Mar;8(3):95–98. doi: 10.3109/02770907109108365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Speizer F. E., Doll R., Heaf P. Observations on recent increase in mortality from asthma. Br Med J. 1968 Feb 10;1(5588):335–339. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5588.335. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WOOD J. B., FRANKLAND A. W., JAMES V. H., LANDON J. A RAPID TEST OF ADRENOCORTICAL FUNCTION. Lancet. 1965 Jan 30;1(7379):243–245. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(65)91526-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Williams H., McNicol K. N. Prevalence, natural history, and relationship of wheezy bronchitis and asthma in children. An epidemiological study. Br Med J. 1969 Nov 8;4(5679):321–325. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5679.321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES