Airway Flashcards
How do you broadly classify airway obstruction?
upper and lower airway
What is the anatomical landmark to differentiate upper and lower airways?
thoracic inlet
What are the symptoms for upper airway obstruction?
Stridor
What are the symptoms for lower airways obstruction?
Expiratory wheeze
What are the xrays requested for acute respiratory distress?
Xray neck AP/ Lat (upper airway)
Xray chest AP/ Lat (lower airway)
Will you take neck AP/ lat in a patient with expiratory wheeze (lowe airway symptoms)?
Yes
What are the differential diagnosis for upper airway obstruction?
Croup (LTB)
Epiglotitis
exudative tracheitis
retropharyngeal abscess / Cellulitit
What is the age range for croup?
6 months to 3 years
What is the age range for Epiglotitis/ Exudative tracheitis/ retropharyngeal abscess?
more than 3 years. Upper limit varies for each disease
Clinical presentation of croup?
barky cough
intermittent strido
may be associated with lower respiratory tract infection
How is croup treated?
inhaled steroid
OP treatment
Xray findings of croup?
Steeple sign: narrowing of subglottic trachea extending below the pyriform fossa
Loss of normal shouldering of subglottic trachea
Lateral: narrowing of subglottic trachea
Summarize croup
Occurs in less than 3 years age
barking cough, intermittent stridor.
Xray - steeple sign, lateral shows narrowing of subglottic trachea.
epiglottis is normal
treatment is reassurance, inhaled corticosteroids outpatient treatment
How common is epiglottitis?
It was fairly common prior to Hib vaccination. Now it is less common
Why should you worry about epiglottits?
It is a fatal condition and cause death
clinical presentation of epiglottitis?
toxic, fever, dysphagia, stridor and increased respiratory distress while lying down.
Prior to vaccination what was the peak age of presentation?
3.5 years, after vaccincation it is 14 years
What additional care should be taken in patients with croup?
patient should not be forced to lye down if uncomfortable. all maneuvre should be avoided
xray finding in croup?
thumb like appearance of epiglottis in lateral radiograph
thickening of aryepiglottic fold
Where is aryepiglottic fold located?
it extends from epiglottis anterosuperiorly to arytenoid cartilage posteroinferiorly
what is the normal appearance of areyepiglottic fold?
it is convex inferiorly
What is abnormal in aryepiglottic fold in croup?
It has superior convexity
Sometimes the epiglottis appears spuriously enlarged! how do you confirm or defer epiglottitis?
No aryepiglottic fold thickening - no epiglottitis.
Summarize epiglottitis
Occurs more than age of 3.
prior to vaccine - peak 3 years
post vaccinne - peak at 14 years
fatal condition - can cause death
manuevres and incomcortable position should be avoided
presents with fever, stridor, dysphagia
xray shows thumb sign (thickened epiglottis) with thickening of aryepiglottic fold