What are the symptoms of acute suppurative pharyngitis in children?

Acute laryngitis in children is common in children aged 6 months to 3 years. It is an acute inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa, mainly in the glottis area. It can be caused by viral or bacterial infection and is often secondary to upper respiratory tract infection. So what are the causes of acute pharyngitis in children?

1. Cause of disease

It can be caused by viral or bacterial infection, often secondary to upper respiratory tract infections such as the common cold, acute rhinitis, pharyngitis, or certain acute infectious diseases such as influenza, measles, whooping cough, etc.

2. Disease pathology

The lesions mainly occur in the subglottic cavity, and the inflammation progresses downward and may accumulate in the trachea. The subglottic mucosa is edematous, and in severe cases, cellulitis, purulent or necrotic changes may occur under the mucosa. The mucosa may be damaged over a large area due to ulcers, and it is rare for pseudomembrane to form on the surface.

3. Disease hazards

Children with acute laryngitis are more likely to have difficulty breathing than adults for the following reasons:

① Children's laryngeal cavity is narrow and the mucosa inside the laryngeal cavity is loose, which makes it easier to cause glottal obstruction when it swells.

② The laryngeal cartilage is soft, and the attachment between the mucosa and submucosa is loose, so the swelling is more severe during inflammation.

③ The laryngeal submucosal lymphatic and glandular tissues are abundant. Inflammation can easily cause submucosal swelling, which can narrow the laryngeal cavity.

④ Children’s coughing ability is not strong, and it is difficult for them to expel secretions from the throat and lower respiratory tract, which makes breathing more difficult.

⑤ Children’s resistance and immunity to infection are not as strong as those of adults, so their inflammatory response is more severe.

⑥ Children’s nervous system is unstable and they are easily irritated and suffer from laryngeal spasm.

⑦ In addition to causing laryngeal obstruction, laryngeal spasm also aggravates congestion and makes the laryngeal cavity narrower.

Therefore, the condition of acute laryngitis in children is often more serious than that in adults, and if not diagnosed and treated in time, it can be life-threatening.

4 Symptoms and signs clinical manifestations

The onset is often acute, and most children have fever, often accompanied by cough, hoarseness, etc. In the early stage, the main symptom is laryngeal spasm, and hoarseness is usually not serious. It manifests as paroxysmal barking cough or dyspnea. Then the inflammation invades the subglottic area and becomes a "hollow" "hollow" cough. The symptoms worsen at night. The edema of the subglottic mucosa worsens, and inspiratory laryngeal stridor may occur. Severe cases may cause dyspnea during inspiration, flaring of nostrils, sinking of the suprasternal fossa, supraclavicular fossa, intercostal space and upper abdominal soft tissue during inspiration (clinically known as the three-depression sign), irritability, flaring of nostrils, cold sweats, and rapid pulse.