Leonard King

14 Aug 2023 · Coroner Sean Cummings · Milton Keynes

The coroner's concerns

1. sudden complete fatal obstruction of the airway
“Acute epiglottitis, also known as supraglottitis, is an infection of the tissues of the epiglottis and surrounding tissue that has potential to cause a sudden, complete and fatal obstruction to the airway”
2. misidentification of adult epiglottitis as sore throat or tonsillitis
“Subsequent to mass immunisation the demographic has changed and more adults are developing epiglottitis. It is not common in this group but because of the expectation among clinicians that it is a still a disease of children, there is a tendency, except in those routinely dealing with acute emergencies of the airways, to regard typical symptoms as those of a sore throat or tonsillitis and not as the harbinger of sudden catastrophic obstructive epiglottitis”
3. delayed treatment of adult epiglottitis
“Prompt recognition and treatment is lifesaving”
4. lack of education and training on adult epiglottitis
“Education and training in the movement of epiglottitis into the adult population may assist in recognition and early treatment”