1999 Volume 42 Issue 4 Pages 374-379
We investigated 170 patients (106 men and 64 women) with epiglottitis. The mean age of the patients was 47.0 years. Seasonal occurrence of the disease was not observed. The predominant symptoms were pharyngeal pain and difficulty swallowing. Dyspnea occurred in 28.8% of the cases. A tracheotomy was performed in 3 patients (1.8%), all of whom survived.
In severe epiglottitis, patients develop dyspnea shortly after the onset of pharyngeal pain. Certain changes appearing in the early stages of inflammation can aggravate the symptoms. The respiratory state of the patient must therefore be examined carefully to ensure that the airway does not become blocked.
