The management of coexisting asthma and cardiac disease

We retrospectively reviewed charts of asthmatics who have coexistent cardiac disease. Twenty-nine patients with a mean age of 64.6 received 621 injections of epinephrine for acute asthma. Clinical improvement in asthma was noted and only three patients experienced a total of five (0.8%) adverse reactions temporally related to the administration of epinephrine. Twelve asthmatic patients were treated with beta adrenergic receptor blockers for a coexistent cardiac disease. In general, these patients tolerated the beta-blocker without a significant deterioration in respiratory function. Epinephrine and beta-blockers may be used safely in some asthmatics with heart disease when the medication is indicated and cautiously administered.