ABSTRACT
In the past, acute asthmatic relapse was viewed as a bronchospastic event. In recent years, the key role of immunology and the inflammatory response in promoting and perpetuating asthmatic exacerbation has been appreciated. Despite the realization that asthma is an inflammatory disorder, of which bronchospasm is a manifestation, many patients with asthma who merit treatment with anti-inflammatory agents unfortunately do not receive these drugs (1,2) and hence are undertreated.
