What is epiglottitis?
epiglottitis is a serious condition that causes inflammation and swelling of epiglottis, part of the tissue at the top of the trachea. When bacterial infections, virus or neck injuries damage epiglottis, it is very difficult to breathe and swallow. If epiglottitis is not diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages, there may be a life -threatening respiratory failure. Emergency respiratory tubes, oxygen therapies and anti -inflammatory drugs are usually required to prevent fatal complications.
Most cases of epiglottitis are caused by bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae, widespread pathogen, which usually does not cause problems in healthy people. Individuals with a weakened immune system, especially very small children, are at the highest risk of Haemophilus influenzae infection and subsequent epiglottitis. Many other pathogens can also cause infection, including bacteria in streptococcal family and Herpes Simplex virus. Less commonly, randomly swallowing irritating, smoking of illegal drugs or hitting the throat can be backRealize serious irritation. When the tissue becomes lit, epiglottis swells and cannot fold properly. Initial symptoms of epiglottitis may include a slight fever, have a deep breath and sore throat. As the inflammation deteriorates, swallowing becomes painful and breathing is very shallow. Respiratory failure is almost certain whether Epiglottis swollen enough to completely block the trachea.
A person who shows signs of epiglottitis must be brought to the emergency room as soon as possible. If the airway limitation is severe, the physician may insert the respiratory tube to prevent respiratory failure. If the trachea is part of it, it may be necessary to administer oxygen cells, but breathing is still shallow. Once the patient is stabilized, diagnostic imaging tests are performed to measure the severity of the damage of epiglottis and the surrounding tissue. Blood and neck samples are gathered and analyzed for a timeElem determination of bacteria or virus responsible for symptoms.
After identifying the basic cause and alleviating the difficulty of breathing, the doctor may administer intravenous antibiotics and anti -inflammatory drugs. The patient is usually held in the hospital for several days, so doctors can carefully monitor his recovery. Once the patient begins to feel better, he is prescribed oral drugs to take daily for one or two weeks and plan for a subsequent test. In immediate treatment, most children and adults are experiencing full enforcement from epiglottitis.