title: [Fatal asthma. Seven case reports observed in Black Africans and review of the literature].
abstract: This is a retrospective study based on a descriptive analysis of the case notes of seven asthmatics who died during hospitalisation over a period of eleven years. Our objective was to underline the potentially fatal character of asthma and to review the characteristics of asthma on the Ivory Coast. The seven cases of fatal asthma (five men and two women) representing 7 out of 1291 of the causes of death in the period under consideration (< 0.5%). The mean age was 32 years. Basic treatment was non-existent in 5 out of 7 cases (71.4%) and relied on only a Salbutamol aerosol in two cases (28.6%). In four cases the individuals were without jobs (57.13%), retired in two cases (28.6%) and a child in one case (14.27%). The death occurred on admission in three cases (42.8%). The asthma was type III as described by Marsac with the two clinical forms. The immediate cause of death was delayed treatment for the crisis (3 out of 7), acute cardiorespiratory decompensation (2 out of 7) and sudden death (2 out of seven). Fatal asthma is a reality on the Ivory Coast and the risk factors seem to particularly related to the precarious conditions of life there.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pneumologie CHU de Cocody, Abidjan, Côte-d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koffi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ngom
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kouasi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yavo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aka-Danguy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D044383:Black People; D002675:Child, Preschool; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class