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.
I have known for a while about the Surgery Center Network, a web site that connects self-pay patients (as well as some third-party payers such as employers and even a couple of insurance companies) with ambulatory surgical centers, which are basically small, specialized surgical facilities.