The appropriate outcomes for a patient with status asthmaticus are normal PaCO2 and increased

FEV1. Status asthmaticus is a severe and life-threatening asthma exacerbation that does not respond

to conventional treatment. It causes severe bronchoconstriction, air trapping, and mucus plugging,

leading to hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and respiratory failure. The goals of treatment are to reverse the

airway obstruction, improve gas exchange, and prevent complications. PaCO2 is the partial pressure

of carbon dioxide in the blood, which reflects the adequacy of ventilation. FEV1 is the forced

expiratory volume in one second, which measures the amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled in

the first second of a breath. It reflects the degree of bronchoconstriction and airflow limitation. A

patient with status asthmaticus typically has elevated PaCO2 and reduced FEV1 due to poor

ventilation and severe obstruction. Therefore, normalizing PaCO2 and increasing FEV1 indicate

improvement in the patient’s condition and response to treatment.

Reference:

Status Asthmaticus: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment - Healthline: This article states that

“Status asthmaticus is a severe form of asthma with symptoms similar to a typical asthma attack. But

for status asthmaticus, symptoms may worsen as the asthma attack continues. Status asthmaticus is

an older, less precise term for what’s now more commonly known as acute severe asthma or a

severe asthma exacerbation. It refers to an asthma attack that doesn’t improve with traditional

treatments, such as inhaled bronchodilators. These attacks can last for several minutes or even

hours.”

Status Asthmaticus (Severe Acute Asthma) - WebMD: This article states that “Status asthmaticus is a

severe asthma attack that doesn’t get better with your usual treatments. It can be life-threatening

and needs urgent medical attention. If you have a bad asthma attack and your rescue inhaler or your

nebulizer doesn’t help, you need medical care right away. If an attack comes on quickly and it doesn’t

respond to regular treatment, it can lead to status asthmaticus.”

Management of Status Asthmaticus | SpringerLink: This article states that “Status asthmaticus is a

life-threatening condition characterized by progressive respiratory failure despite aggressive

treatment. It is defined as an acute exacerbation of asthma that remains unresponsive to initial

treatment with bronchodilators. Status asthmaticus can vary in severity from mild to fatal. The

pathophysiology of status asthmaticus is complex and involves airway inflammation, bronchospasm,

airway edema, mucus plugging, and increased airway resistance. The clinical manifestations of status

asthmaticus include dyspnea, wheezing, cough, chest tightness, tachypnea, tachycardia, hypoxemia,

and hypercapnia. The diagnosis of status asthmaticus is based on history, physical examination, and

laboratory tests, such as arterial blood gas analysis, spirometry, and chest radiography. The

management of status asthmaticus consists of oxygen therapy, inhaled beta-2 agonists, systemic

corticosteroids, and adjunctive therapies, such as anticholinergics, magnesium sulfate, ketamine, and

noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. The goals of treatment are to relieve

bronchoconstriction, reduce airway inflammation, correct hypoxemia, normalize or reduce carbon

dioxide levels, and avoid or treat complications.”