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Acute, reversible left ventricular dysfunction in status asthmaticus
G N Levine1, C Powell, S A Bernard
1Department of Medicine, Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, Boston University Medical Center Hospital, Boston City Hospital 02118, USA.
Chest
|May 1, 1995
Abstract:
Three cases of rapidly reversible severe myocardial depression are described in patients with status asthmaticus. Initial echocardiograms obtained within 1 day of hospital admission revealed global left ventricular hypokinesis with ejection fractions of 11 to 34%. Follow-up echocardiograms obtained only 3 to 8 days later revealed marked improvement of left ventricular function. Possible mechanisms responsible for the observed rapidly reversible myocardial depression and the clinical implications of this finding are discussed.