Bacterial tracheitis reexamined: is there a less severe manifestation?
OBJECTIVE
Bacterial tracheitis (BT) is a condition that can cause fatal airway obstruction. We evaluated our experience with BT over a 10-year period.


METHODS
Retrospective review of patients treated for BT between 1991 and 2001.


RESULTS
Ninety-four cases were evaluated. The mean patient age was 7.9 years. At presentation, 60% were afebrile, and the mean WBC count was 10.8 x 10(3)/mm3 . Only 53% of patients required intubation. Younger children were more likely to require this intervention. S. aureus was the most commonly cultured bacteria, while isolation of M. catarrhalis was associated with a higher intubation rate. A pathologic virus was isolated in 64% of the 34 cultures performed. Only 9 patients were described as "toxic," and 6 presented in respiratory extremis. There were no deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
A subset of patients with tracheal membranes has a less severe clinical appearance. Nonetheless, these patients require debridement and aggressive medical treatment. We propose that the term "exudative tracheitis" (ET) better describes this entity. Older patients who are less systemically ill and rapidly respond to local and systemic therapy are characteristic of ET.


METHODS
C.
Salamone
Frank N
FN
Division of Otolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio 45229-3039, USA.
Bobbitt
D Bradley
DB
Myer
Charles M
CM
Rutter
Michael J
MJ
Greinwald
John H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy