Adverse effects of racemic epinephrine in epiglottitis
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Updated: Oct 27, 2026

Surfactant Depletion Combined with Injurious Ventilation Results in a Reproducible Model of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Published on: April 7, 2021
Abstract:
Acute epiglottitis, a potentially fatal disease, may be difficult to diagnose if the presentation is atypical. We present three such patients who were initially diagnosed as acute laryngotracheitis. They deteriorated rapidly after administration of racemic epinephrine via nebulizer. We caution that: diagnosis of acute epiglottitis should be considered in similar patients; and appropriate precautions must be taken prior to visualization of the airway.
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