Acute asthma attack: severity criteria.

The authors briefly review the main risk factors for fatal asthma, near-fatal asthma, rapid onset asthma and slow onset asthma. The most recent data in the international literature are also shortly reviewed and discussed.

Sedation in the Intensive Care Unit. The basis of the problem.

The authors briefly discuss the advantages and limits of sedation in critically ill patients. They also focus the importance of an individualized sedative approach which provides pain relief and modulates stress response, allowing patients to be easily arousable and cooperative as necessary.