Urgent upper airway obstruction in pediatric population : a 13-year experience in a tertiary care center

Abstract FRE

The objective of this study is to report the main causes and presentations of urgent upper airway obstruction in children, and to analyze factors delaying appropriate diagnosis and management.

All cases of pediatric urgent upper airway obstruction between January 2003 and June 2016 were studied.

Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and management were analyzed.

Twenty-two patients were included (mean age 13.3 months).

Most frequent etiologies were vocal cord paralysis (18%) and sub-glottic foreign bodies (18%).In five cases, initially suspected diagnosis was different than final diagnosis.It is important not to miss the correct diagnosis and to manage severe cases in adequately equipped tertiary care centers.