title: [Acute laryngeal dyspnea].
abstract: Laryngeal dyspnea is a life-threatening emergency situation. The diagnosis is clinical and made from the association of: inspiratory bradypnea, intercostal and sus-sternal inspiratory depression, with or without stridor. The aetiologies are most often laryngeal tumours or inflammatory oedema; incidence of epiglottitis has decreased due to vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae. Airway obstruction due to foreign body includes acute laryngeal dyspnea and reflex paroxysmal coughing without fever. Management of a laryngeal dyspnea depends on the aetiology and the severity of clinical symptoms. Medical treatment associates racemic epinephrine aerosol, steroids, and oxygenation. In the presence of severe dyspnea, intubation after anaesthetising the patient and positive pressure ventilation is required.
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie-réanimation IV Hôpital Pellegrin-Enfants 33076 Bordeaux. anne-marie.cros@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cros
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hervé
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000150:complications*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D064705:Racepinephrine; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013256:Steroids
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D013256:Steroids; D064705:Racepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine