"Fatal" acute epiglottitis

This is the 4574th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Xiao Wang had a dinner with his friends on the weekend, with hot pot, ice beer, cold drinks... He was not happy with the meal. When he returned home in the middle of the night, he felt his throat was swollen and painful, and then he had difficulty breathing. He was scared of dying and immediately called 120 to go to the hospital for treatment. After the doctor examined him, he determined that Xiao Wang did not have ordinary pharyngitis, but acute epiglottitis. Fortunately, he went to the hospital in time, otherwise he might have died of suffocation in a few hours. Is acute epiglottitis really so serious?

1. What is acute epiglottitis

Acute epiglottitis, also known as supraglottic laryngitis, is an acute inflammatory disease that mainly affects the epiglottis and surrounding tissues in the supraglottic region of the larynx. The disease develops suddenly and rapidly, with severe sore throat, swallowing and breathing difficulties caused by severe edema of the epiglottis as the main clinical features. In severe cases, it can cause suffocation. Acute epiglottitis can occur throughout the year, but it is more common in early spring and late autumn. It can occur in both adults and children. Prognosis is good with timely treatment, but delay is life-threatening.

2. What are the common causes?

Infection is the most common cause, with Haemophilus influenzae type B being the most common pathogen. Allergic reactions, foreign bodies, trauma, harmful gases or accidental swallowing of chemicals may also cause acute epiglottitis.

Why is it so dangerous?

The pharynx is an important respiratory passage for the human body. The epiglottis is located above the human trachea and at the root of the tongue. When a person speaks or breathes, the epiglottis moves upward to open the laryngeal cavity; when swallowing, the epiglottis moves downward to cover the trachea, so that food or water does not enter the trachea and cause choking. The submucosal tissue of the epiglottis is loose and can easily cause edema after inflammation. The highly swollen epiglottis has limited movement and covers the glottis downward, blocking the trachea and esophagus, causing difficulty in swallowing, breathing, and even suffocation and death.

IV. How to prevent it in daily life

1. Rinse your mouth frequently, keep your mouth clean, avoid smoking and drinking, and avoid excessive consumption of spicy and irritating foods. Be alert to food and drug allergies.

2. Pay attention to throat pain. If you experience difficulty swallowing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, etc., seek medical attention immediately.

3. Avoid eating food that is too hot to protect the epiglottis from being burned. Especially for those who like to eat hot pot and spicy food and drink cold drinks, you should pay attention to adjusting this eating habit, because eating too hot food may burn the mucosa and cause epiglottis edema, and eating a hot and cold diet can easily lead to inflammatory edema.

4. Strengthen exercise, avoid colds, and improve the body's resistance.

5. For acute inflammation of other adjacent organs, timely treatment should be given to prevent the spread of infection; underlying diseases, such as diabetes, should be actively treated and blood sugar should be actively controlled.

Emergency Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University

Written by: Party Training Nursing Teacher

Supervisor: Chief Physician Pei Honghong