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.
The Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU) is a multifaceted unit. A preoperative (preop) nurse assesses outpatients prior to the day of surgery. This is done at the ASU preop clinic visit and again on the day of surgery. The ASU RN assures the patient meets health and nursing criteria prior to surgery.