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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffEpiglottis can cause a number of complications, including:
- Respiratory failure. The epiglottis is a small, movable "lid" just above the larynx that prevents food and drink from entering your windpipe. But if the epiglottis becomes swollen — either from infection or from injury — the airway narrows and may become completely blocked. This can lead to respiratory failure — a life-threatening condition in which the level of oxygen in the blood drops dangerously low or the level of carbon dioxide becomes excessively high.
- Spreading infection. Sometimes the bacteria that cause epiglottitis cause infections elsewhere in the body, such as pneumonia, meningitis or a blood infection (sepsis).
References
- Woods CR. Epiglottitis (supraglottitis): Clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Woods CR. Epiglottitis (supraglottitis): Treatment and prevention. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Epiglottitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec08/ch090/ch090l.html. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Is your child protected against Hib? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HibDisease/. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hib.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Sobol SE, et al. Epiglottitis and croup. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2008;41:551.
- Lustig LR, et al. Ear, nose, and throat disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 49th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2356. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- 8. Rubin MA, et al. Pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis, and other upper respiratory tract infections. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2883486. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 17, 2010.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 23, 2010.
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