STRIDOR Common Causes of Stridor lumen: foreign body, hypertrophic tonsils or adenoids respiratory wall: croup, epiglot...
STRIDOR
Common Causes of Stridor
- lumen: foreign body, hypertrophic tonsils or adenoids
- respiratory wall: croup, epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, post-intubation edema/trauma, tracheomalacia, subglottic stenosis
- surrounding structures: retropharyngeal or peritonsillar abscess, neoplasm, vascular ring
CROUP AND EPIGLOTTITIS
FOREIGN BODY ASPIRATION
- acute: sudden onset of choking, stridor, wheezing, cough, respiratory distress
- chronic: persistent, localized atelectasis in lung; recurrent pneumonia
Diagnosis
- history: choking spell (recent or remote)
- chest x-ray: bilateral decubitus films may show air trapping, foreign body, or segmental collapse
- bronchoscopy: visualize obstruction
Management
- complete obstruction: Heimlich maneuver or alternating back blows and chest thrusts for infants < 1 year old
- if unable to expel foreign body: direct laryngoscopy and removal, intubation or emergency tracheotomy
