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49 - Pediatric Respiratory Infections

from Part II - Pediatrics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2009

By
Seema Shah  and
Ghazala Q. Sharieff
Edited by
Rachel L. Chin
Seema Shah
Affiliation:
Attending Emergency Physician, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA
Ghazala Q. Sharieff
Affiliation:
Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; Medical Director, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Palomar-Pomerado Health System/California Emergency Physicians, San Diego, CA
Rachel L. Chin
Affiliation:
University of California, San Francisco
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Summary

INTRODUCTION – AGENTS

Respiratory failure is the most common cause of cardiopulmonary arrest in infants and children. Because morbidity may be time-dependent and appropriate treatment may vary significantly depending on etiology, prompt assessment and management of pediatric respiratory disease is essential. This chapter will discuss the most common respiratory diseases in children focusing on epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, croup, retropharyngeal abscess, pertussis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia.

EPIGLOTTITIS

Epidemiology

Epiglottitis or supraglottitis is a serious, life-threatening infection of the epiglottis and constitutes an airway emergency (see Chapter 8 for a discussion of supraglottitis). It is more common in the winter but can occur throughout the year. Peak incidence is in children between 2 and 8 years of age, but epiglottitis also occurs in infants and adults. Since widespread vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type B, previously the most common cause, the incidence has decreased from 41 to 4.1 cases per 100,000, and the typical age of presentation is increasing. The most common identified organisms causing epiglottitis are now group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Candida.

Clinical Features

Epiglottitis usually presents abruptly within 6–24 hours of a prodromal viral illness. Patients with epiglottitis classically have high fever, irritability, and throat pain that may manifest as unwillingness to eat or drink (Table 49.1).

Type
Chapter
Information
Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases , pp. 295 - 306
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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  • Pediatric Respiratory Infections
    • By Seema Shah, Attending Emergency Physician, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; Medical Director, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Palomar-Pomerado Health System/California Emergency Physicians, San Diego, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.050
Available formats
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Pediatric Respiratory Infections
    • By Seema Shah, Attending Emergency Physician, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; Medical Director, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Palomar-Pomerado Health System/California Emergency Physicians, San Diego, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.050
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Pediatric Respiratory Infections
    • By Seema Shah, Attending Emergency Physician, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; Medical Director, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Palomar-Pomerado Health System/California Emergency Physicians, San Diego, CA
  • Edited by Rachel L. Chin, University of California, San Francisco
  • Book: Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases
  • Online publication: 15 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547454.050
Available formats
×