Death in asthma: a psychosomatic autopsy.
In most, if not all, chronic illnesses, the patient is a participant in medical management. Attitudes and behaviors during treatment can influence medical outcome in important ways that are becoming increasingly understood. This case history illustrates how a personal style may have contributed to the worst possible outcome, death, in an illness that is usually not fatal. There is a need to unravel the complex interplay between the psychological and medical factors contributing to such extremes in medical treatment failure in order to permit timely and appropriate intervention.
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001519:Behavior; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010551:Personality; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests