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Book

Supraglottic Airway Obstruction

Virteeka Sinha  1 , Anterpreet Dua  2 , Karampal Singh, Andrea C. Alvarado  3 , Jeanie Skibiski  4
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Supraglottic Airway Obstruction

Virteeka Sinha et al.
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Excerpt

Supraglottic obstruction is a medical or surgical emergency. It can result in increased work of breathing and respiratory distress and can progress to fatal cardiopulmonary arrest. Prompt correction of the causative factor can relieve obstruction and lead to improvement of the respiratory and cardiac status as well as the mental status of the patient.

The pediatric airway is at increased risk for fatal outcomes from obstruction owing to its more narrow caliber, the position of the larynx, a lrelatively arge tongue, and the poor tone of the pediatric patient. Deterioration from a patent airway to a partial obstruction and progression to a complete obstruction can occur rapidly. Immediate recognition, prompt correction, and intervention to relieve airway obstruction can be life-saving.

Supraglottic obstruction can be acute or chronic and can present as a partial obstruction or complete obstruction. Careful assessment of the airway is important, keeping in mind, not to agitate or aggravate the patient, which can lead to worsened respiratory distress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Virteeka Sinha declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Anterpreet Dua declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Karampal Singh declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Andrea Alvarado declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Jeanie Skibiski declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

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