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 centers. Definition. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are medical facilities that specialize in elective same-day or outpatient surgical procedures. They do not offer emergency care. The word ambulatory comes from the Latin verb ambulare , which means to walk..
October 02, 2012 | Print | Email. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, of The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles, discusses the quality and cost benefits of performing spine surgery in ambulatory surgery centers and what it will take for Medicare to reimburse for these procedures in the future.