Acute obstructive respiratory emergencies in children are a common cause of emergency department visits. The severity of these conditions ranges from mild, self-limited disease to life-threatening forms of rapidly progressive airway obstruction. Respiratory failure is the most common cause of cardiopulmonary arrest in pediatric patients. Therefore, prompt recognition, assessment, and expert management of respiratory emergencies are critical to obtaining the best possible outcome.
Anatomical respiratory differences in children and adult: Young children have proportionally larger heads, prominent occiputs, and relatively lax cervical support, which increases the likelihood of airway obstruction in the supine position. The subglottis is the narrowest segment of the pediatric airway, in contrast to the glottis in adults. The subglottic airway contains loosely attached connective tissue that…
