[Acute laryngeal dyspnea]

Abstract

Laryngeal dyspnea is a life-threatening emergency situation. The diagnosis is clinical and made from the association of: inspiratory bradypnea, intercostal and sus-sternal inspiratory depression, with or without stridor. The aetiologies are most often laryngeal tumours or inflammatory oedema; incidence of epiglottitis has decreased due to vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae. Airway obstruction due to foreign body includes acute laryngeal dyspnea and reflex paroxysmal coughing without fever. Management of a laryngeal dyspnea depends on the aetiology and the severity of clinical symptoms. Medical treatment associates racemic epinephrine aerosol, steroids, and oxygenation. In the presence of severe dyspnea, intubation after anaesthetising the patient and positive pressure ventilation is required.