Pitfalls
- Failure to appreciate the severity of the episode before ambulance treatment
- Allowing hypoxia by driving nebulisers with air
- Failure to recognise the patient who has deteriorated secondary to a spontaneous pneumothorax
- Failure to acknowledge the increased mortality risk of patients with a history of severe asthma and an adverse psychosocial factor
- Discharging asthmatic patients late at night
- Failure to arrange GP follow up after discharge
- Prescribing NSAIDs to asthmatics in the ED without first checking about prior use and exacerbations