Pediatric Respiratory Emergencies

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Section snippets

Key points

  • Children with respiratory complaints commonly present to the ED and it is imperative that physicians be able to promptly recognize and treat these disease processes.

  • Maintain a high level of suspicion for foreign body aspiration in patients with good history even when presenting with normal examination.

  • Provide supportive management in epiglottitis without increasing anxiety or agitation and involve consultants early.

  • Bronchiolitis treatment recommendations have changed based on current AAP

Epidemiology

Although recognition and management has improved, foreign body aspiration (FBA) remains common in children. FBA can occur in children of all ages, although most occurrences are in children younger than 4 years, with a peak incidence between the first and second birthdays.1 White and colleagues2 reviewed FBA cases from 1955 to 1960 and compared these with FBA cases from 1999 to 2003. Comparison revealed similarities in the types of aspirated foreign bodies. Organic foreign bodies were the most

Epidemiology

Epiglottitis is a severe potentially life-threatening condition in which there is acute inflammation of the epiglottis and surrounding tissues. Inflammation and edema lead to progressive airway obstruction and can cause respiratory arrest. It is most often caused by bacterial infection but can also occur as a result of thermal or inhalational injury or local trauma.54 Before the advent of the Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae caused almost all pediatric cases of

Summary

Pediatric respiratory illnesses are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Children with respiratory complaints commonly present to the ED and it is imperative that physicians are able to promptly recognize and treat these disease processes.

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  • Cited by (11)

    • Pediatric respiratory tract foreign bodies in children: A systematic review

      2023, Auris Nasus Larynx
      Citation Excerpt :

      Pediatric respiratory emergencies are an important cause of emergency department (ED) visits and respiratory failure is a major cause of cardiopulmonary arrest [1].

    • High risk and low prevalence diseases: Adult epiglottitis

      2022, American Journal of Emergency Medicine
      Citation Excerpt :

      In addition to antibiotics, nebulized epinephrine can be used in adults with epiglottitis to assist with airway bronchodilation and reduce edema; however, data suggesting improved patient-centered outcomes with nebulized epinephrine are lacking [28,37]. Caution is recommended in children regarding nebulized epinephrine as it may cause additional agitation, laryngospasm, and rapid deterioration without proven benefit [42-44]. The use of corticosteroids by any available route (e.g., IV, intramuscular [IM], per os [PO]) in epiglottitis remains controversial, though between 20 and 83% of epiglottitis patients receive corticosteroids [23,29].

    • Noninvasive ventilation in children

      2019, Acta Medica Saliniana
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Disclosure: The authors have nothing to disclose.

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