Airway obstruction (patient information)

Airway obstruction
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Airway obstruction?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Prevention
Airway obstruction On the Web
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Airway obstruction
Risk calculators and risk factors for Airway obstruction

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click Airway obstruction

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Mohammed A. Sbeih, M.D.[2] Phone:617-849-2629

Overview

An acute upper airway obstruction is a blockage of the upper airway, which can be in the trachea, voice box (laryngeal), or throat (pharyngeal) areas.

What are the symptoms of Airway obstruction?

Symptoms vary depending on the cause, but some symptoms are common to all types of airway blockage. They include:

• Agitation or fidgeting.
• Bluish color to the skin (cyanosis) Changes in consciousness.
• Choking.
• Confusion.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Gasping for air.
• Panic.
• Unconsciousness.
• Wheezing, crowing, whistling, or other unusual breathing noises indicating breathing difficulty.

Diagnosis

Physical examination may show:

Decreased breath sounds in the lungs Rapid, shallow, or slowed breathing Tests are usually not necessary, but may include:

Bronchoscopy Laryngoscopy X-rays

Where to find medical care for Airway obstruction?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Airway obstruction

Sources

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