Word parts
What it means
A flap above the larynx (voice box). When a person swallows, it folds down over the opening to the airway so food and liquid go into the esophagus instead of the lungs. Epiglottitis is a swelling of this flap, usually from infection, that can block the airway quickly; it is now uncommon in children because of the Hib vaccine.
For the nurse
In a child with suspected epiglottitis, keep the child calm and upright, do not look in the throat with a tongue blade, and have emergency airway equipment ready.
At a glance
| Spanish | epiglotis |
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Related terms
aspiration
Breathing food, liquid, saliva or stomach contents into the airway and lungs; also, drawing fluid out with suction or a needle.
dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing.
trachea
The windpipe: the tube that carries air from the throat to the lungs.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
laryng/o
A word part that means the larynx, the voice box.