Short-term intubation in children with acute epiglottitis

Management of the airway in acute epiglottitis is still controversial. One argument against intubation as opposed to tracheostomy is the increased complications from prolonged intubation. We describe a study of 26 children treated for acute epiglottitis from 1971 to 1979. Included in this series are 16 consecutive patients who were treated by nasotracheal intubation and simultaneous medical therapy. Fifteen of the 16 patients extubated safely in less than 48 hours, significantly decreasing the possibility for complications.