Acute epiglottitis in a community hospital.

Acute epiglottitis is a fulminating pediatric emergency which should be managed with antibiotics and the establishment of an airway. Either tracheostomy or nasotracheal intubation is employed for airway intervention. Because of the morbidity associated with tracheostomy, recent reports have stressed the use of nasotracheal intubation. Experience in 21 cases of acute epiglottitis emphasizes nasotracheal intubation as the treatment of choice in a community hospital.