BLACK FRIDAY SALE ✨ SAVE UP TO 45% OFF NOW
Registered Nurse (RN)
/
Courses
/
Pediatric Nursing
/
Other Childhood Infections
/
Epiglottitis Assessment

Master Epiglottitis Assessment with Picmonic for Nursing RN

With Picmonic, facts become pictures. We've taken what the science shows - image mnemonics work - but we've boosted the effectiveness by building and associating memorable characters, interesting audio stories, and built-in quizzing.

DOWNLOAD PDF
Epiglottitis Assessment

Epiglottitis Assessment

E-pig-on-fire and Assess-man
Picmonic
Epiglottitis is a supraglottic inflammation and obstruction of the airway due to infection with Haemophilus influenzae. The Hib vaccine prevents disease from this organism and should be given to infants in three to four divided doses starting at the age of two months. Signs and symptoms of epiglottitis include inspiratory stridor, restlessness, cough, dyspnea, fever, and drooling. It is important to note that the throat should not be examined if epiglottitis is suspected, as this could cause spasm and complete closure of the airway. Assessment of the throat should only be done when immediate endotracheal intubation is possible. Epiglottitis requires emergency treatment.
10 KEY FACTS
CAUSE/MECHANISM
Haemophilus Influenzae
Heme-man In-flute

Haemophilus influenzae, usually type b, is the bacterial organism responsible for epiglottitis. The Hib vaccine prevents disease from this organism and should be given to infants in three to four divided doses starting at the age of two months.

ASSESSMENT
Drooling
Drooling

Patients may exhibit drooling due to difficulty swallowing saliva, related to supraglottic inflammation and obstruction.

Fever
Fever-beaver

Because epiglottitis is caused by Haemophilus influenzae, the patient’s body will respond to the infection with an elevated temperature, as part of the immune response. Characteristically, fevers associated with this condition are often high.

Stridor
Spider

Stridor, an abnormal, high-pitched breath sound, may be heard on inspiration. Stridor typically indicates extreme compromise of the airway and should be treated as an emergency.

Restlessness
Restless-wrestler

Inadequate oxygenation related to respiratory distress can cause a patient to become restless.

Dyspnea
Disc-P-lungs

Difficulty breathing, or dyspnea, is commonly seen in patients with epiglottitis, due to inflammation and obstruction of the airway.

Cough
Coughing-coffee

The patient with epiglottitis may cough in an attempt to clear their throat. The feeling of having something stuck in the throat is due to inflammation and will not be relieved with coughing. Spontaneous coughing is absent in these patients.

Tripod Position
Tripod

Patients who are in respiratory distress may assume the tripod position in an effort to optimize breathing. In this position, the patient will lean forward with the chin extended and mouth open with tongue protruding.

CONSIDERATIONS
Emergency Treatment
Emergency-lights

Emergency treatment is necessary to treat the infection, and to reduce swelling of the airway.

Do Not Examine Throat
No-sign Tongue Depressor

If epiglottitis is suspected, the throat should not be examined, as this could cause spasms, and complete closure of the airway. Assessment of the throat should only be done when immediate endotracheal intubation is possible.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Recommended Picmonics

picmonic thumbnail
Epiglottitis Interventions
picmonic thumbnail
Mumps (Parotitis)
picmonic thumbnail
Infectious Mononucleosis
picmonic thumbnail
Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis)
picmonic thumbnail
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Assessment

Take the Epiglottitis Assessment Quiz

Picmonic's rapid review multiple-choice quiz allows you to assess your knowledge.

It's worth every penny

Our Story Mnemonics Increase Mastery and Retention

Memorize facts with phonetic mnemonics

Unforgettable characters with concise but impactful videos (2-4 min each)

Memorize facts with phonetic mnemonics

Ace Your Registered Nurse (RN) Classes & Exams with Picmonic:

Over 1,980,000 students use Picmonic’s picture mnemonics to improve knowledge, retention, and exam performance.

Choose the #1 Registered Nurse (RN) student study app.

Picmonic for Registered Nurse (RN) covers information that is relevant to your entire Registered Nurse (RN) education. Whether you’re studying for your classes or getting ready to conquer your NCLEX®-RN, Hesi, ATI, TEAS test, Kaplan exams, we’re here to help.

Works better than traditional Registered Nurse (RN) flashcards.

Research shows that students who use Picmonic see a 331% improvement in memory retention and a 50% improvement in test scores.