title: Medications and Recent Patents for Status Asthmaticus in Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Status asthmaticus is an acute exacerbation of asthma that is persistent and intractable and remains unresponsive to initial treatment with bronchodilators and systemic corticosteroids and that the condition can result in hypoxemia, hypercarbia, and secondary respiratory failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review treatment and recent patents on management of status asthmaticus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed search was completed in Clinical Queries using the key term "status asthmaticus". The search included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, reviews and pertinent references. Patents were searched using the key term status "asthmaticus" from www.google.com/patents, www.uspto.gov, and www.freepatentsonline.com.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Supplemental oxygen should be given to maintain an oxygen saturation of ≥ 92% in room air. Mainstay of pharmacologic treatment of status asthmaticus includes short-acting, β2 agonists such as salbutamol (albuterol) administered by metered-dose inhaler with spacer or, preferably, by nebulizer and oral corticosteroids. There is no advantage to intravenous corticosteroids unless the child cannot tolerate oral corticosteroids (e.g., protracted vomiting), or unable to take oral corticosteroid (e.g., intubated or unconscious). Inhaled ipratropium bromide and intravenous magnesium sulfate should be considered in children with severe asthma exacerbations not responsive to conventional therapy. Subcutaneous and intramuscular β2 agonists such as terbutaline and epinephrine may be considered for children with severe asthma exacerbation who have poor air entry, are uncooperative with nebulized therapy, or have poor response to nebulized therapy. Monoclonal anti-IgE antibody (omalizumab) and humanized monoclonal antibodies targeting interleukin pathway have shown great promise in severe refractory eosinophilic asthma. Failing therapeutic interventions necessitate non-invasive or invasive ventilation support. Severe exhaustion, deteriorating consciousness, poor air entry, worsening hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and cardiopulmonary arrest are indications for mechanical ventilation and intubation. For chronic treatment of asthma, inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilator, and oral montelukasts are the mainstay. Some formulations of herbal medicine are efficacious but evidence of other modalities of complementary and alternative medicine are generally lacking. This review also discusses recent patents related to the management of asthma. These recent patents describe a few immunomodulating medications useful for the treatment of chronic severe asthma. There have been no recent patents for the management of status asthmaticus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inhaled bronchodilators and systematic corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy in the management of severe and status asthmaticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 6/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin. Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kam Lun E
authors.initials: KLE
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta. Canada.
authors.forename: Alexander K C
authors.initials: AKC
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010330:Patents as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Anti-IgE antibody; bronchospasm; inhaled β2 agonists; interleukin antagonists; oral corticosteroids; status asthmaticus