Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  1998 Mar;8(1):106-111.

Two Cases of Epiglottitis Caused by Haemophilus Influenzae Type b Infection

• Lee K
• Yoo S
• Hong M
• Kim S
• Lee S

Abstract

Epiglottitis is an uncommon but potentially life threatening infectious disease in young children. And it is rapidly progressing cellulitis of the epiglottis and adjacent structures that has the potential for causing abrupt, complete airway obstruction. The most common cause of acute epiglottitis is Haemophilius influenzae type b(Hib), therefore in USA, the acute epiglottitis is seen less commonly since the wide spread use of immunization against Hib. In Korea, there has been no report of acute epiglottitis caused by known bacterial organism, and a little investigation of the effects of the immunization against Hib, or Hib related respiratory diseases. In this report, we describe two cases of acute epiglottitis caused by Hib, occurred in non-immunized young-male children admitted to Ajou University Hospital. They had visited to the emergency center of Ajou University hospital with the complaints of acute fever, drooling, dysphagia and severe respiratory difficulties. In both cases, we observed the cherry-red colored, severely swollen epiglottis by the direct laryngoscopic examination. Hib was cultured in blood samples from both two cases, and the patients treated successfully by the 3 days of endotracheal intubation and proper antibiotics therapy without any complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, or pericarditis.

Keyword

Epiglottitis; Haemophilus influenzae type b; Non-immunized young-male children

MeSH Terms

Airway Obstruction
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Cellulitis
Child
Communicable Diseases
Deglutition Disorders
Emergencies
Epiglottis
Epiglottitis*
Fever
Haemophilus influenzae type b*
Haemophilus influenzae*
Haemophilus*
Humans
Immunization
Influenza, Human
Intubation, Intratracheal
Korea
Meningitis
Osteomyelitis
Pericarditis
Pneumonia
Sialorrhea
Anti-Bacterial Agents