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Upper airway obstruction due to erysipelas

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Abstract

Erysipelas is a rare cause of airway compromise. A case of a 57-year-old female is described who developed upper airway obstruction secondary to erysipelas of the neck. Emergency treatment by awake fiberoptic bronchoscopy with intubaton over the bronchoscope followed by intravenous antibiotics produced rapid clinical improvement. Lymphatic obstruction of the laryngeal structures is the most likely physiologic mechanism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anaesthesia, St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto, 30 Bond St., M5B 1W8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    B. Guslits

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  1. B. Guslits
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Guslits, B. Upper airway obstruction due to erysipelas. Intensive Care Med 17, 370–371 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01716199

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01716199

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