Changing patterns of epiglottitis in children.

With an increased awareness of appropriate management of childhood epiglottitis, overall morbidity and mortality has decreased. However, some trends have developed over the past several years that are variations on the classic picture. In a series of 42 patients seen from 1977 to 1986, epiglottitis has occurred in a progressively younger population. Thirty-six percent of our patients were found to be less than 2 years old, and 51% were less than 3 years old. Also, the causative organism, Haemophilus influenzae, has been found to be increasingly ampicillin-resistant. The incidence, presentation, management, and outcome of the patients are reviewed, and compared to similar data from other series in the literature.