Ear, nose & throat · UKMLA & AKT
Acute upper airway obstruction in adults
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise acute upper airway obstruction in adults — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Stridor - high-pitched audible noise; inspiratory = supraglottic, biphasic = glottic/subglottic
- Dysphonia/hoarseness - laryngeal involvement; muffled 'hot potato' voice = supraglottic swelling
- Dysphagia and drooling - inability to swallow secretions; classic in epiglottitis and Ludwig's angina
- Respiratory distress - tachypnoea, accessory muscle use, tracheal tug, intercostal recession
- Cyanosis - late, pre-terminal sign
- Agitation or altered consciousness - hypoxia/hypercapnia; a suddenly quiet, still patient is ominous
Signs of impending complete obstruction - act immediately: silent chest with no audible stridor, cyanosis, paradoxical chest-wall movement, loss of consciousness or extreme exhaustion, complete inability to vocalise.
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