Stridor in the Infant Patient

Habib G Zalzal; George H Zalzal

doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2021.12.003

Stridor in the Infant Patient

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2022 Apr;69(2):301-317. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2021.12.003.

Authors

Habib G Zalzal¹, George H Zalzal²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Otolaryngology, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue, Northwest, Washington, DC 20010, USA. Electronic address: hzalzal@cnmc.org.
² Division of Otolaryngology, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue, Northwest, Washington, DC 20010, USA.

PMID: 35337541
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2021.12.003

Abstract

Stridor is a high-pitched extrathoracic noise associated with turbulent airflow, commonly associated with respiratory distress in infants. Workup for stridor requires evaluation of the upper-respiratory airway, with severe distress requiring evaluation under anesthesia. The differential diagnosis of stridor depends on location of the obstruction, age of the patient, and acuity of the symptoms. The most common reason is laryngomalacia; most patients can be managed conservatively with resolution of symptoms by 2 years of age. In children who do not improve or have severe disease, supraglottoplasty is the treatment of choice, and the majority will have resolution of stridor postoperatively.

Keywords: Congenital laryngomalacia; Laryngomalacia; Pediatric airway; Stridor; Supraglottoplasty.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anesthesia*
Child
Humans
Infant
Laryngomalacia* / complications
Laryngomalacia* / diagnosis
Laryngomalacia* / surgery
Larynx*
Respiratory Sounds / diagnosis
Respiratory Sounds / etiology