Nearly fatal partial obstruction of the upper airway.

The dangers of taking antihistamines while reactive small-airway disease is present are theoretically valid. In this case, an episode of coughing in a 33-year-old woman mobilized a thickened plug of mucus from the peripheral to the central bronchial region, which created a nearly fatal, partial upper airway obstruction. The mucous plug was discovered during an emergency bronchoscopy and quickly removed by suction.