Adult epiglottitis Heightened awareness saves lives

The patient had further neck swelling and developed the sepsis syndrome, which was confirmed by haemodynamic measurements with a pulmonary artery balloon flotation catheter; the systemic sepsis resulted in acute renal failure. Because of clinical deterioration benzylpenicillin was added empirically to the antimicrobial regimen. Mar 1, 1994 EDITOR, - Having recently admitted a patient with acute epiglottitis who had had a cardiorespiratory arrest before admission and who later died, we endorse the views of M J Stuart and T J Hodgetts 1 that epiglottitis may affect people of any age and that the occasionally fatal complication of upper airway obstruction is not restricted to children. 2 The authors advocate conservative management of the airway in adults in whom respiratory distress is not evident at presentation.