What it means
A crowing or whistling noise from the throat or windpipe, often loud enough to hear without a stethoscope. It means air is moving through a narrowed upper airway, from swelling (croup, an allergic reaction, after extubation), a foreign object or a tumor. New stridor is an airway emergency.
For the nurse
Stay with the client, call for help and keep them upright and calm. Have airway equipment and oxygen ready. Do not look in the throat of a child who may have epiglottitis: it can make the airway close completely.
In a chart
"Inspiratory stridor noted 20 minutes after extubation; rapid response called."
At a glance
| Spanish | estridor |
|---|---|
| Also written | stridorous |
Related terms
dyspnea
Difficult or labored breathing, or the feeling of not getting enough air.