Management of acute epiglottitis by nasotracheal intubation.

In 40 cases of acute epiglottitis in children, intubation was the chosen method for the management of airway obstruction. Six patients were treated without the establishment of an artificial airway, and no tracheostomies were done. No patients who were admitted to the hospital died of airway obstruction, although one sustained irreversible brain damage before admission, and two died of overwhelming infectionmthe average duration of intubation was 2.days and the average hospital stay was 5.days. Two children developed subglottic granulation tissue that was removed successfully and did not recur. Nasotracheal intubation is an acceptable method of management of epiglottitis.