title: [Two cases of refractory asthma presenting chest pain, which were successfully treated with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation].
abstract: We report here two cases of refractory asthma presenting chest pain, which were successfully treated by using intermittent noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). Both patients were women, and were diagnosed to have bronchial asthma with the reversibility of airway contraction after administration of a bronchodilator. Although both patients were treated with several medicines for "treatment step 4" based on the guideline in Japan, their asthma could not be controlled well and their symptoms including the chest pain eroded their quality of life. We tried to use NPPV for 30 minutes in our clinic, and their symptoms improved. Therefore, we innovated for them intermittent NPPV as a home treatment. After 3 to 5 months, their asthma, including the symptom of chest pain, improved. In addition, pulmonary function tests revealed stable vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second in all cases after the NPPV therapy, while V50 and V25 were improved. These results suggest that NPPV may be a useful treatment option for patients with refractory asthma, especially those presenting chest pain.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Oita University Hospital.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Toba
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Ishii
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Yamagata
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Hijiya
authors: Junichi
authors: J
authors: Kadota
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*