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Epiglottitis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Definition

Epiglottitis is an inflammation of the epiglottis. Due to its place in the airway, swelling of this structure can interfere with breathing and constitutes a medical emergency.
The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that sits at the base of the tongue that keeps food from going into the trachea, or windpipe, during swallowing. Epiglottitis is most common in children 2 to 5 years old. It is uncommon in children younger than 2 but may affect people of any age, including adults.

Causes

Conditions that cause epiglottitis include infectious, chemical, and traumatic agents. Infectious is the most common. The most common cause of swelling and inflammation of the epiglottis and surrounding tissues is infection with Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria. Hib isn't the germ that causes the flu, but it's responsible for other serious conditions including respiratory tract infections and meningitis.
Epiglottitis causes swelling of the epiglottis. Breathing problems increases rapidly as the epiglottis swells. Epiglottitis can get rapidly worse.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms include sore throat, muffling or changes in the voice, difficulty speaking, fever, fast heart rate, and difficulties in breathing.

Other signs and symptoms may develop within a matter of hours, including:-
Difficult and painful swallowing
Drooling due to severe pain when swallowing
A muffled voice
Harsh, raspy breathing
Difficulty breathing
Anxiety
Blue skin or lips

Treatment

If your child has a sore throat and difficulty breathing you should call for immediate doctor. Do not lie the child down or attempt to look in their throat (or put anything in their mouth, such as a spatula) as this can trigger spasm which immediately closes the airway completely and causes death within minutes. Once in hospital, doctors can carefully examine the child to make a diagnosis.

If an enlarged epiglottis is seen on x-ray or the child appears seriously ill, doctors examine the child under anesthesia in the operating room using a laryngoscope. If the examination shows epiglottitis or triggers throat spasm, the doctor inserts a plastic tube (endotracheal tube) into the airway to keep it open. If the airway is too swollen to allow placement of an endotracheal tube, the doctor cuts an opening through the front of the neck (tracheostomy) and inserts the tube.

Other treatments may include:
Fluids given by IV
Antibiotics to treat the infection
Corticosteroids to decrease the swelling of the throat
Humidified oxygen (oxygen that has been moistened)
Breathing tube ( intubation)