Immediate management
- admit immediately to hospital
- don't examine throat - this is likely to provoke spasm and cause obstruction
- minimise distress to the child - don't separate from parents or give antibiotics
- contact the hospital so they can arrange a senior anaesthetist to intubate the patient and an ENT surgeon to perform a tracheostomy if needed
- nebulised adrenaline can be used
- go with the child to hospital if possible
- be prepared to do an emergency laryngotomy in case of obstruction
- when obstruction is imminent, stridor becomes ominously quieter
Reference
- Abdallah C; Acute epiglottitis: Trends, diagnosis and management. Saudi J Anaesth. 2012 Jul;6(3):279-81
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