Epiglottitis: Difference between revisions

: Upper airway infections are common pediatric illnesses.  Children presenting with fever, sore throat and dysphagia may have tonsillitis, laryngitis, aspiration of a foreign body, tracheitis, laryngeal diphtheria or croup.  The presence of stridor excludes tonsillitis and laryngitis.  Croup generally presents gradually, with low-grade fever a stereotypical barky cough, and is responsive to steroid therapy.  Laryngeal diphtheria has largely been eliminated by vaccination, but this rare clinical finding evolves more insidiously with web occlusion of the airway.  Epiglottitis shows rapid symptom progression, with drooling, forward seated position to optimize air flow, and toxemia with high fever. Cough is not generally seen. Tracheitis may present similarly to epiglottitis and may require rigid bronchoscopy to differentiate the two.  Bacterial tracheitis carries a significant mortality rate as high as 40%, while prompt intervention in epiglottis proves a definitive rescue.