Acute epiglottitis in the adult.

Acute epiglottitis may be fatal when diagnosis is delayed. The literature stresses data that does not help to predict impending airway obstruction in patients who present with a sore throat, the most consistent presenting symptom among patients with acute epiglottitis. In this review of 80 cases of epiglottitis in adults, almost all patients who presented within eight hours from onset of symptoms required airway intervention, while the majority of those who presented more than eight hours after onset of symptoms never developed acute upper respiratory obstruction and were treated medically or had supportive treatment only. Artificial airway was indicated in all patients who had drooling. There were no fatalities in this series, however, we recommend keeping all patients with acute epiglottitis in an intensive care unit for at least 24 hours after admission.