RESUMEN

Todos los pacientes con asma tienen riesgo de sufrir una exacerbación de la enfermedad en el curso de su vida, la cual eventualmente puede llegar a ser fatal. Las hospitalizaciones y su atención a nivel de los servicios de cuidado crítico constituyen un aspecto fundamental en la asistencia del paciente asmático, donde se invierte un porcentaje muy importante de los aportes económicos que hace la sociedad en conjunto, por lo tanto es de particular importancia establecer planes de prevención, educación y racionalización terapéutica en el primer nivel de atención para estabilizar la enfermedad y disminuir las agudizaciones. La severidad de las exacerbaciones puede variar desde una crisis leve hasta una potencialmente fatal, existiendo un vínculo fundamental entre la mortalidad y la valoración inadecuada de la severidad del evento, lo que trae como consecuencia un tratamiento inadecuado para su condición.

PALABRAS CLAVE

Asma severa, ventilación mecánica, Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos.

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