Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis

Anesthetic relevance	High
Anesthetic management	Inhalational induction to maintain spontaneous respirations; Immediate securement of the patient's airway in the operating room due to high risk for critical airway obstruction
Specialty	ENT
Signs and symptoms	- The 4 "D's": dyspnea, dysphagia, drooling, dysphonia - typically presents in children age 2-5 years - Fever as high as 40 degreees Celcius
Diagnosis	Clinical suspicion; "thumb print" sign on lateral neck X-ray
Treatment	Emergent securement of the airway, subsequent antibiotics and steroids
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Epiglottitis is inflammation of the epiglottis typically secondary to an infectious process. The most common causative bacterium historically was Haemophilus influenzae type B. However, with the advancement of vaccination, other causative agents such as Streptococcus pneumoniae or viruses are now more common.

Traditionally, children ages 2-5 years of age were most likely to present with epiglottitis. However, older children and adults may also be afflicted.