Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T14:47:04.370Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A comparison of endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy in the management of acute epiglottitis in children in the tropics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Olujimi Odetoyinbo*
Affiliation:
Ile-Ife, Nigeria
*
O. Odetoyinbo, F.R.C.S., Department of Surgery, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Abstract

In children, acute epiglottitis is rapidly fatal due to airway obstruction by swollen supraglottic structures, but the oedema is short-lived. Therefore, in many centres short-term endotracheal intubation has replaced tracheostomy as the method of choice for relieving the obstruction.

We have tried both methods in 15 children over a period of three years under conditions of limited material and human resources. Tracheostomy was found to be safer. It was concluded that it is better to have a live healthy child with a small scar in the neck than a dead child without a scar.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Addy, M. G., Ellis, P. D. M. and Turk, D. C. (1972) Haemophilus epiglottitis: nine recent cases in Oxford. British Medical Journal, 1: 4041.Google Scholar
Allen, J. H. and Steven, I. M. (1972) Prolonged nasotracheal intubation in infants and children. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 4: 835839.Google Scholar
Battaglia, J. D. and Lockhart, C. H. (1975) Epiglottitis by nasotracheal intubation. American Journal of Diseases of Childhood, 129: 334336.Google Scholar
Baxter, J. D. (1967) Epiglottitis in children. Laryngoscope, 77: 13581367.Google Scholar
Berenberg, W. and Kevy, S. (1958) Acute epiglottitis in childhood. New England Journal of Medicine, 258: 870.Google Scholar
Blang, V. F., Weber, M. I., Leduc, C., Laberge, R., Desjardin, S. R. and Perreault, G. (1977) Acute epiglottitis in children. Management of 27 consecutive cases with nasotracheal intubation, with special emphasis on aneasthetic considerations. Canadian Anaesthetic Society Journal, 24: 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryne, H., Hoel, T. M. and Enoksen, A. (1977) Acute epiglottitis in an adult treated by nasotracheal intubation. American Journal of Diseases of Childhood, 129: 334336.Google Scholar
Coker, J. D. and Scharz, R. G. (1975) Safe alternative to tracheostomy in acute epiglottitis. American Journal of Diseases of Childhood, 129: 136.Google Scholar
Davis, H. W., Piertner, J. C., Calvis, A. G., Michaels, R. H. and Mestad, P. H. (1981) Croup and epiglottitis. The Paediatric Clinics of North America, 28: 4.Google Scholar
Downey, J. J., Kane, L. A. and Secord, L. (1972) Nasotracheal intubation in infants and children, New York State Journal of Medicine, 72: 25122535.Google ScholarPubMed
Dumbar, J. S. (1961) Epiglottitis and croup. Journal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, 12: 873.Google Scholar
Edelson, P. J. (1971) Radiographic examination in epiglottitis. Journal of Pediatrics, 81: 1036.Google Scholar
Enoksen, A., Bryne, H., Hoel, T. M. and Havnen, J. (1979) Epiglottitis acuta treated with nasotracheal intubation. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 23: 422426.Google Scholar
Hannallah, R. and Rosales, J. K. (1979) Current management and review. Canadian Anaesthetic Society Journal, 25: 84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holinger, P. H. and Johnson, K. C. (1950) Factors responsible for laryngeal obstruction in infants. J.A.M.A., 143: 12291232.Google Scholar
Jones, H. M. (1958) Acute epiglottitis and supraglottitis. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 73: 932.Google Scholar
Jones, H. M. (1975) Acute epiglottitis. Practitioner, 215: 732.Google Scholar
Milko, D., Marshak, G. and Striker, T. (1974) Nasotracheal intubation in the treatment of acute epiglottitis. Pediatrics, 53: 674677.Google Scholar
Molteni, R. A. (1976) Epiglottitis: incidence of extra-glottic infections. Pediatrics, 58: 526531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murphy, D. and Todd, J. (1979) Treatment of ampicillin resistant Haemophilus influenzae with high doses of ampicillin. Journal of Pediatrics, 94: 983987.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poole, C. A. and Altman, D. H. (1963) Acute epiglottitis in children. Radiology, 80: 796.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rainer, E. H. (1971) Acute epiglottitis in adults. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 85: 493496.Google Scholar
Rapkin, R. H. (1972) The diagnosis of epiglottitis. Simplicity and reliability of radiographer of the neck in the differential diagnosis of the croup syndrome. Journal of Pediatrics, 80: 9698.Google Scholar
Shann, F. A., Phelan, P. D. and Stocks, J. G. (1975) Prolonged nasotracheal intubation or tracheostomy in acute laryngobronchitis and epiglottitis Australian Paediatric Journal, 11: 212217.Google ScholarPubMed
Tae, H. O. and Motoyama, E. K. (1977) Comparison of nasotracheal intubation and tracheostomy management of acute epiglottitis. Anaesthesiology, 46: 214216.Google Scholar
Tos, M. (1973) Nasotracheal intubation in acute epiglottitis. Archives of Otolaryngotogy, 97: 373375.Google Scholar