Airway management of acute supraglottitis at the Children's Hospital, Boston: 1980-1985.

A controversy has existed in recent years regarding the ideal method of establishing and maintaining an airway in the pediatric patient with acute supraglottitis. Nasotracheal intubation has been used as the sole method of airway management of acute supraglottitis at The Children's Hospital, Boston, since 1970. This paper reviews our experience with 80 children with acute supraglottitis presenting at our institution during the years 1980 to 1985.