Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2019 Apr;62(4):233-237. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00430.

A Clinical Study of Acute Epiglottitis: Retrospective Review of 315 Patients in Korea

• Kim BJ
• Choi BG
• Choi HG
• Lee JY
• Park BJ

• KMID: 2448117
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00430

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Acute epiglottitis is a life-threatening condition that can result in airway obstruction. The present study reports clinical features, management and patient outcomes in an acute epiglottitis.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Included in our retrospective study were 315 patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of acute epiglottitis between January 2006 and July to the department Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital 2018. The diagnosis of acute epiglottitis was established by confirmation of inflamed epiglottis using laryngoscope or computed tomography.
RESULTS
Among 315 patients, 89 cases (28%) and 83 cases (26%) were found in the fifth and fourth decades, respectively. The mean age of patients was 45.0±13.94 years. The male to female ratio was 1.33:1. A total of 75 patients (23.8%) had co-morbidities, with hypertension (13.6%) being the most common. Fever was relatively uncommon, whereas most patients complained of sore throat. Ceftriaxone was the most common empirical antibiotic regimen prescribed and the use of steroids did not affect the length of hospital stay. Nine patients required airway intervention, including eight who underwent endotracheal intubation and one emergency tracheostomy. In patients who need airway intervention, systolic blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, white blood cells and the proportion of dyspnea were significantly higher in comparison to the patients without airway intervention.
CONCLUSION
Although acute epiglottitis often has nonspecific symptoms, it may lead to sudden dyspnea and unstable vital signs, so an in-depth understanding of this disease is needed.

Keyword

Airway managment; Antibiotics; Epiglottitis

MeSH Terms

Airway Obstruction
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Blood Pressure
Body Temperature
Ceftriaxone
Clinical Study*
Diagnosis
Dyspnea
Emergencies
Epiglottis
Epiglottitis*
Female
Fever
Heart
Heart Rate
Humans
Hypertension
Intubation, Intratracheal
Korea*
Laryngoscopes
Length of Stay
Leukocytes
Male
Methods
Neck
Pharyngitis
Respiratory Rate
Retrospective Studies*
Steroids
Tracheostomy
Vital Signs
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Ceftriaxone
Steroids