What Is Epiglottitis?
8. Complications
The complications of epiglottitis can be very severe. If the problem is caused by a bacterial or viral infection, for example, there’s a chance that this infection can spread to elsewhere in the body. Further infections can be very dangerous for the patient, and these can include conditions as dangerous as meningitis.
Usually, the more pressing complication is the patient’s inability to breathe. If the swollen epiglottis is completely blocking the airways then the patient stands a very real risk of respiratory failure. This means that the levels of oxygen in the patient’s blood will begin to fall, and the levels of carbon dioxide will begin to rise.
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