An asthma attack is exactly that - the muscles around the airways and the lining of the air passages tighten. Swelling reduces the amount of air that can pass through the airways and leads to a high-pitched, wheezing sound. Asthma attacks can become life-threatening if the airflow in the lungs becomes severely blocked.
Ambulatory surgery center. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), also known as outpatient surgery centers or same day surgery centers, are health care facilities where surgical procedures not requiring an overnight hospital stay are performed.
Surgeons as well as patients tend to prefer ambulatory surgery centers for outpatient procedures for several reasons: 1  Cost. In many cases, an outpatient procedure done in an ASC costs between one-half and one-third as much as the same procedure done in a hospital. 2  Convenience.