The Use of Sodium Bicarbonate in the Treatment of Acute Bronchial Asthma

ACUTE respiratory insufficiency from bronchial asthma usually responds promptly to treatment with epinephrine or other bronchodilators. A significant number of cases, however, do not respond favorably, and many innovations in therapy have been directed toward this group of patients. Among the recommendations that have been made are larger than usual doses of epinephrine,1 , 2 or its administration by the intravenous route,3 intravenously given aminophylline,4 ether by rectum,5 general anesthesia,6 , 7 adrenal steroids,8 , 9 hypnosis,10 artificial respiration,11 sedation12 and newer sympathomimetic agents.13 These methods, however, are not always successful in overcoming bronchospasm when conventional use of epinephrine has failed, and the mortality in bronchial . . .