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Edematous Tracheobronchitis

Categories: BRONCHOSCOPY IN DISEASES OF THE TRACHEA AND BRONCHI
Sources: A Manual Of Peroral Endoscopy And Laryngeal Surgery

This is chiefly observed in children.

The most frequently encountered form is the epidemic disease to which

the name Influenza has been given (q.v. supra). The only noticeable

difference between the epidemic and the sporadic cases is in the more

general susceptibility to the infective agent, which gives the

influenzal form an appearance of being more virulently infective.

Possibly the sporadic form is simply the attack
of children not

immunized by a previous attack during an epidemic.



There is another form of edematous tracheobronchitis often of great

severity and grave prognosis, that results from the aspiration of

irritating liquids or vapors, or of certain organic substances such as

peanut kernels, watermelon seeds, etcetera. Tracheotomy should be done

if marked dyspnea be present. Secretions can then be easily removed

and medication in the form of oily solutions be instilled at will into

the trachea. In the Bronchoscopic Clinic many children have been kept

alive for days, and their lives finally saved by aspiration of thick,

tough, sometimes clotted and crusted secretions, with the aspirating

tube (Fig. 10). It is better in these cases not to pass the

bronchoscope repeatedly. If, however, evidences of obstruction remain,

after aspiration, it is necessary to see the nature of the obstruction

and relieve it by removal, dilatation, or bronchial intubation as the

case may require. It is all a matter of plumbing i.e., clearing out

the pipes, and maintaining a patulous airway.



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