Which upper airway emergency shows stridor, fever, sore throat, and drooling?

• A. Epiglottitis
• B. Croup
• C. Pneumonia
• D. Congestive heart failure

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing an upper airway emergency by the combination of signs that point to the site and severity of obstruction. When stridor is present along with fever, sore throat, and drooling, the clue is an inflamed epiglottis causing obstruction high in the airway. Drooling happens because swallowing is painful and difficult with epiglottitis, so secretions accumulate and the child can’t handle them well. In this scenario, the airway can deteriorate rapidly, so urgent, controlled airway management is a priority.

Croup can also have stridor, but it usually comes with a barking cough and hoarseness and fever is typically not as prominent. Pneumonia might cause fever and sore throat but not the characteristic drooling or the sudden upper-airway obstruction seen with epiglottitis. Congestive heart failure wouldn’t present with fever and drooling in this context.

Recognizing epiglottitis helps you distinguish it from other causes of stridor and directs you to safely secure the airway in a controlled setting.