title: Upper airway obstruction in a young adult.
abstract: Acute epiglottitis is a potentially rapidly fatal illness. Although commonly thought of as a disease affecting children, it is increasingly being diagnosed in adults. We report a case of upper airway obstruction due to epiglottitis in a 37-year-old female. The need for early diagnosis because of the risk of a fatal outcome is highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McParland
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuster-Bruce
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vassallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004826:Epiglottitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents