Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis is a rare but very serious disease that can cause children to die because their airway in the throat becomes blocked.

Epiglottitis is an uncommon, serious, infection of the epiglottis caused by the germ Haemophilis influenza type B (Hib). The epiglottis is a flap which is in the airway at the back of the tongue, and when it is infected it becomes swollen and red, and can block the airway. A child can go quickly from being well to having serious airway blockage within 4 to 6 hours. The child appears ill, with a high fever, does not want to do anything, has a very sore throat and noisy breathing, even when the child is resting and not crying.

Epiglottitis is much less common since children have been immunised against Hib.