European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. 279(3)
INTRODUCTION Acute supraglottitis is a potentially life-threatening condition that often necessitates intensive care unit (ICU) admission for airway monitoring. The objective of this study was to identify clinical criteria that predict a benign course for patients with acute supraglottitis. METHODS A prospective observational study was performed. Adult patients hospitalized in the ICU between 2007 and 2019 diagnosed with acute supraglottitis were included. All patients were treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids. Fiber optic laryngoscopy (FOL) was performed every 12 h, with each exam defined as "improving", "no change" or "deteriorating" based on the presence of airway edema. Need for airway intervention was correlated to changes in the FOL exam. RESULTS Of 146 patients included, 14 (10%) required intubation, ten on admission, and four during the first 6 h of ICU admission. FOL follow-up was performed on 528 occasions-427 (81%) exams showed improvement, 16 (3%) deterioration, and 85 (16%) with no change. On no occasions was improvement in FOL followed by deterioration. The median ICU length of stay was 3 (IQR 2-3.5) vs. 1 (IQR 1.0-1.25) day for patients who did or did not require intubation (p
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