When compared to the adult airway, the airway of the infant:
a) Has a floppier epiglottis
b) Has vocal cords slanted downward posteriorly
c) Has the narrowest region located at the rima glottidis
d) Is more prone to postintubation laryngeal edema
Answer d.
The infantile airway has a shorter and omega-shaped epiglottis; it is more difficult to displace, and thus commonly (and erroneously) referred to as “floppy”. The vocal cords are on a non-perpendicular (to the trachea) axis, with a more cranial attachment posteriorly. The narrowest region of the airway is at the level of the cricoid cartilage. The infant is more prone to postintubation laryngeal edema because of the already small radius of the airway.