Two Sudden Unexplained Deaths in Asthmatics

Abstract

A 50 year old female asthmatic died suddenly and an empty pressurised bronchodilator aerosol lay by her side. There was evidence of gross overdosage previously. Steroids had not been used. A 68 year old coal miner who had chronic bronchitis, had developed increasingly acute attacks of bronchospasm. He used pressurised bonchodilator aerosols in moderation but he was found dead with a half-empty aerosol canister beside him. Again no steroids were used. Post mortem revealed no obvious cause of sudden death. The danger of overuse of bronchodilator aerosols is stressed.