[Treatment of 3 cases of status asthmaticus with halothane]

Three serious cases of status asthmaticus with severe hypercapnic acidosis unresponsive to adequate conventional therapy were treated by halothane. The efficiency of this treatment was assessed by the clinical state of the patient, the blood gases and the changes in peak airway pressure. Two patients improved dramatically in less than 24 h. No signs of cardiac toxicity of this drug were noted in spite of acid-base disturbances. These three cases showed the beneficial effect of halothane's-beta 2 stimulation in the treatment of status asthmaticus.